Nick Kyrgios says why he started laughing after hearing he matched Roger Federer’s accomplishment back in 2013
Nick Kyrgios will return to tennis for the first time in over a year, in his native Australia in 2025.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is set to make his return to the sport after dealing with several injuries in recent years.
Kyrgios will play at the Brisbane International, a warm-up tournament for the Australian Open, which has a strong line-up that includes Novak Djokovic and 2024 champion Grigor Dimitrov.
The Australian won in Brisbane back in 2018, as he clinched his fourth ATP title.
Kyrgios last played against Yibing Wu in Stuttgart back in 2023, as he has spent the last year and a half recovering from injury.
Away from the court, Kyrgios has spent time commentating, sharing his thoughts on how his fellow ATP stars are getting on.
Before getting back on court next year, Kyrgios has looked back upon something that happened at the start of his career, which made him laugh.
Nick Kyrgios explains why he started laughing when he heard he matched Roger Federer in 2013
Speaking with Alexander Bublik and Patrick Mouratoglou for UTS, Kyrgios looked back at the decision his father made that changed his life completely.
“It just happened so fast, I played basketball as well,” he said.
“Then my dad just said, we’re going to stop playing basketball, we’re going to play tennis, because it’s easier.
“Tennis in Australia is huge, basketball was very hard to make it at all.”
His life quickly changed as he took the tennis world by storm, with several huge victories.
“Then I just played tennis,” he said.
“I was 19, I’d just finished school, and then I was playing a Challenger one day, and then I beat Rafa [Nadal] like a week later.
“That was it.”
Kyrgios went on to recall how he reacted to hearing he matched an achievement that the legendary Roger Federer had previously accomplished.
“I won a challenger, and then the list of people who had won a challenger by like 18 or something, was like [Roger] Federer, [Grigor] Dimitrov, [Milos] Raonic,” said the Australian.
“I laughed, I was like there is no way that I’m going to be like this, there’s just no way.
“Bro, I played video games, I barely trained, I was eating like ****, then it just happened.
“I never dreamed of doing it, I just laughed.”
Nick Kyrgios and Roger Federer’s unlikely rivalry
Despite Kyrgios never quite living up to the potential he showed early on in his career, he still forged several intense rivalries on the ATP Tour.
Kyrgios took on Federer seven times during their time on tour together, and whilst the Swiss dominated the head-to-head 6-1, there are plenty of classic matches to look back upon.
| Winner | Year | Tournament | Score |
| Roger Federer | 2019 | Laver Cup – RR | 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, (10-7) |
| Roger Federer | 2018 | Laver Cup – RR | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Roger Federer | 2018 | US Open – 3R | 6-4, 6-1, 7-5 |
| Roger Federer | 2018 | Stuttgart – SF | 6-7, (2-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) |
| Roger Federer | 2017 | Laver Cup – RR | 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), (10-9) |
| Roger Federer | 2017 | Miami Open – SF | 7-6 (11-9), 6-7 (9-11), 7-6 (7-5) |
| Nick Kyrgios | 2015 | Madrid – 3R | 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (14-12) |
Plenty of tiebreaks were needed to separate the pair, with their first two matches perhaps the most intense.
Nick Kyrgios beats Roger Federer – Madrid Masters 2015
When the Australian took on Federer for the first time on the Madrid clay in 2015, he was a big outsider but immediately took it to the eventual 20 time Major champion.
After losing the first set tiebreaker, he battled back in the second to take things to a deciding set in front of an excited Spanish crowd.
What followed was a marathon tiebreak, as Kyrgios eventually won 14-12 in the third set breaker, as Federer hit his forehand wide.
An incredible match, and Kyrgios’ first and only win over the former world number one.
Roger Federer beats Nick Kyrgios – Miami Open 2017
Trailing their head-to-head 1-0, Federer was out for revenge in the 2017 Miami Open semi-finals.
In another remarkably long tie-breaker it was Federer who clinched it this time, as he took the first set, after saving several set-points against the Aussie.
Kyrgios returned the favor in the second set as he won 11-9 in the tiebreaker to once more take things to a decider, as the Floridian fans couldn’t quite believe the quality of tennis they were seeing.
One final tiebreak followed, as there was so little to separate the pair, but this time Federer got things done 7-5, as he secured the first of six wins against Kyrgios.
