Kyrgios to go through Australian Open qualifying if he doesn’t get a wildcard

Nick Kyrgios has insisted he won’t take a wildcard for the Australian Open unless he’s confident he can give fans “the Kyrgios experience” — and if he’s not 100%, he’s prepared to play through the grand slam’s qualifying rounds instead.

With just three spots left to hand out, Tennis Australia has a tough decision on its hands: Former Aussie Open champion Stan Wawrinka has put his hand up to play a retirement tour at the event where he won in 2014, while Kyrgios, Jordan Thompson, and Chris O’Connell make up the three local players the Sporting Base understands would be picked.

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Kyrgios has said he won’t “crawl” for a spot, though, and is more than willing to do it the hard way from January 13 should there be someone else from the Australian cohort that’s more deserving than him for the main-draw skip.

“I could have a phone call [with Tennis Australia] and be like, ‘I feel 100%; I’m going to make a final of a grand slam, that no other [male] player in Australia has done in the last 19 years,'” he said before the Brisbane International.

But – the 30-year-old has a bit more poise than that, even if many would suggest he doesn’t after his long and loud career. “I could just butter it up and take it, but I want to prove to myself first. And I don’t want to be that type of player that takes opportunities away from young people that have been really working towards this moment,” the crowd-draw offered.

Maybe we can thank John Millman for the grace Kyrgios is approaching the whole affair with, too; Millman had been struggling with fitness and decided to transfer his French Open wildcard to an 18-year-old Kyrgios way back in 2013. It was Nick’s grand slam debut, and arguably set the ball rolling for everything he’s achieved in the global sport since.

“That’s where everything kicked off for me; my whole career after that moment, I became a different player,” Kyrgios explained. “[If I’m not ready] I’d rather give it to someone that’s earned the wildcard and is in tip-top shape.

“So, yeah… I’m going to get through this week [in Brisbane], and whatever AO brings, AO brings.”

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Nick has found an unlikely ally for his cause, though, even as he tries to hand the wildcard away to “Thommo” or O’Connell, in Wawrinka, who infamously clashed with Kyrgios in 2015 in a fiery spat that saw Nick fined $35,000 for a derogatory comment about Wawrinka’s then-partner. The Swiss champion said he’d like to see the Aussie in the main draw.

“He’s been injured a lot the last few years; it’s not easy for him,” Wawrinka said at the United Cup.

“He had amazing results in his career, made a final in a slam. So, of course, if he’s fit and ready, he’ll want to play. He’s been playing a bit more, some exhibition matches, and in Brisbane, so hopefully he can be fit without injury for the full year.”

Tennis Australia is expected to release the final AO wildcards sometime before the start of the qualifiers next Tuesday. Aussies like James Duckworth, Rinky Hijikata, Talia Gibson, Taylah Preston, Priscilla Hon, and rising young gun Emerson Jones have already been invited to the top 128. There are still three men’s spots and one women’s spot to be filled.

The 2026 edition of the Australian Open will then begin its main draw on Sunday, January 19.