Nick Kyrgios says he’s ‘smart as’, and he might just be right

Here’s a theory you can subscribe to.

Nick Kyrgios – OnlyFans, NBL and pickleball entrepreneur and TV’s nascent voice of tennis – will be in your face for a long time to come, no matter how long he keeps playing.

Depending on how you take your tea, this prospect will be either galling or thrilling. Regardless, it’s happening.

He could stay on the professional circuit for years yet, or his current comeback attempt could fail and spark the end of a tumultuous career. Either way, the team behind the enigmatic Australian is laying the foundations to give him every chance of “being the next John McEnroe”.

Kyrgios played only one official tour match in more than 800 days before taking the early steps of his comeback in Brisbane last week. But in that time, Kyrgios made some eye-catching moves – signing up with OnlyFans, launching his own YouTube interview series and, in combination with other sports and entertainment stars, investing in a professional pickleball team and an NBL franchise.

The 29-year-old is not in the realm of the high-earning tennis elite – which, for example, had Carlos Alcaraz in top spot with $72.4 million in annual earnings in the financial year of 2023-24, according to sports business journal Sportico, with Rafael Nadal still high on the list despite the now-retired Spaniard playing limited matches in his final season last year. But Kyrgios is unlikely to be too fazed by pocketing just $8251 prizemoney from official matches since injury cut him down in late 2022.

He’s never been shy about voicing his thoughts on the stars of the game getting their fair share from the sport’s revenue pie, and he’s got one eye firmly on the future when he puts his racquet down for good.

Forays into tennis TV commentary have been part of the Australian’s readjusted priorities as his management – led by Stuart Duguid, the agent who co-founded a management agency with Naomi Osaka – started preparing him for life away from the game.

McEnroe is renowned as the volatile on-court champion who morphed into a highly prized pundit for the global networks. But it remains to be seen whether Kyrgios’ penchant for controversy – his relentless social media attacks on Jannik Sinner over the world No.1’s positive drugs tests in 2024, for starters – will ultimately hinder him.

Duguid, however, describes Kyrgios’ tennis knowledge as “off the charts” and says he’s shown what he’s truly capable of behind the microphone. The Australian has already had stints with the BBC at Wimbledon and with ESPN at the Australian Open.

“[That’s] why it’s so intriguing, especially on the commentary side, for him to be able to talk about guys that he’s played [against] only a year or two ago and that he hangs out with in the locker room, and that he texts with and that he messages on Instagram,” Duguid said.

“It’s a very different and unique offering [compared to] a lot of the other commentators that have been doing this for many, many years [have]. While they’re great at their job, they just don’t have the same perspective.

“In terms of commentary, I think if he wants, he can be the best. He’s going to keep getting better and better.

“I mean, his tennis IQ is a complete joke – it’s off the charts. It’s probably one of the highest, if not the highest, which is why he’s done so well without a coach.”

Australia’s host broadcaster Nine, the owner of this masthead, confirmed their interest in Kyrgios as an on-camera pundit.

“We will have a chat to Nick’s management when the times comes,” said Nine’s head of tennis, Ben Clark. “Hopefully though we have a few more years of Nick on-court at the AO, rather than off.”

The marketable commodity

There were surely smiles all around – from Tennis Australia officials, to sports broadcasting honchos – when news emerged that Kyrgios was serious about embarking on a comeback to the game after a string of injuries that resulted in knee and wrist surgeries. Australian Open boss Craig Tiley pointed out that the Canberran – who burst into the public’s imagination when he defeated Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014 and hasn’t stopped creating headlines since – attracts the non-typical fan to the sport.

“He’s a drawcard for everyone,” says Tiley.

“Not just the tournament, but for the sport because he attracts an audience that we don’t typically see. And every sport needs that – every bit of entertainment needs that.”

Duguid stresses the same point. The LA-based agent said when Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic, who had previously clashed heads over a range of issues, came together as a doubles combination in Brisbane, it was priceless prime-time material. “I was at a breakfast this morning with people that don’t even know or like tennis, and they’re talking about that doubles point that he and Novak had three or four nights ago,” Duguid recalled.

“A doubles match, a 250 [tennis rankings event], against two guys I’ve never heard of – in Brisbane. And it’s coffee fodder.”

Kyrgios knows his value to the tennis coffers, and he hasn’t been shy in talking about it. In 2023, in response to a news item that the ATP was thinking about a guaranteed salary for players, his message was succinct. “Lol, still not enough,” Kyrgios said on X, formerly known as Twitter. Last year, in an extended YouTube interview with money man Mark Bouris, he was asked what his move would be if tennis was impacted by a takeover like golf was hit by LIV. “I’d be the first person to sign up because obviously the money would be much better,” he said.

That Kyrgios is a hot commodity is not lost on Nine. He has featured extensively in their TV promotions ahead of the Australian Open. Naturally, they want him to go deep in his comeback. “Nick has always proven to be popular with our viewers,” says Clark.

“His unpredictable style is always entertaining and makes him ‘must watch’ whenever he hits the court.

“We all have our fingers crossed that his comeback is successful, his body holds up, and he can perform well.

“Nick is a drawcard – there is absolutely no doubt about that – and his presence on our screens will be welcomed by our audience. Nick aside, after an incredibly strong 12 months, there are another nine Australians already in the draw of the men’s singles with Alex de Minaur, Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson leading the charge.”

“His tennis IQ is a complete joke – it’s off the charts. It’s probably one of the highest, if not the highest, which is why he’s done so well without a coach.”

Agent Stuart Duguid on Nick Kyrgios

So where does Kyrgios sit on the ladder of global sports stars when it comes to earning potential? Sportico last year assessed the highest-paid tennis players, combining prizemoney and endorsements.

The top 10 was replete with men’s and women’s players currently high on the rankings. But Osaka, who’s dipped to world No.50 after returning to tennis in motherhood, still earned a spot, while Nadal retained massive pulling power. The Spaniard last year got the vast bulk of his $21.2 million in earnings from endorsements ($397,000 in prizemoney).

What are the priorities now?

The changes for Kyrgios have been steady and driven by Duguid, who left the International Management Group (IMG) to join forces with Osaka. Duguid says he had no hesitation in agreeing to work with Kyrgios.

“We just let him be himself,” Duguid says of Kyrgios.

“I think in his previous agency [management] relationship, I think he was maybe asked to do some things that he didn’t like, and he maybe travelled to certain tournaments that he didn’t want to go to pick up a cheque,” says Duguid.

“And my philosophy was really the antithesis of that, which was, ‘You kind of be yourself, tell me what you want to do now, and I’ll react accordingly.’

“I think he’s the type of character that, if you try and get him down to something that he’s not [comfortable doing], not only is he unhappy doing it, but it’s extremely obvious.”

Finding a new voice

The public got an early taste of Kyrgios’ evolving priorities in late 2023 when it was announced he’d signed with OnlyFans, the video subscription company best known for content creators and their X-rated content. In the announcement, Kyrgios said he was on board “to disrupt the way sports stars share content”. Unsurprisingly, this created headlines.

Kyrgios has explained his rationale in signing up. “OnlyFans kind of reached out to me. They wanted to try and get athletes more involved,” he told Bouris.

“When I announced [the] OnlyFans [partnership], you have the herd of people saying, ‘Oh my god, he’s going to get his dick out’. Like, obviously not mate.

“The deal was really nice. I like the fact that I can go on that platform and post tennis stuff, post everyday stuff – what I’m doing with my family. It’s just basically me flogging my everyday life.

“It’s cool because anytime I make an announcement, say like for the Australian Open, the media has to subscribe.

“I do all my media releases through OnlyFans now … so they’ve got to become fans.

“It’s smart as.”

Investing in Brand Kyrgios

Where Kyrgios chooses to spend his money is diverse, but he readily mentions his own foundation, the Miami Pickleball Club and South East Melbourne Phoenix. Duguid says Kyrgios is driven and motivated by the approaches taken by top-level athletes such as LeBron James.

Nike and tennis gear manufacturer Yonex have been long-term partners of Kyrgios. But other major corporate players have come and gone; Malaysian Airlines ended their partnership with him not long after he was punished for allegedly tanking at the Shanghai Masters in 2016.

“He’s not your traditional brand ambassador,” says Duguid. “We’re not going to be calling Visa or American Express and doing a three-year deal [type of] traditional endorsement. So you’ve got to think outside the box.

“And sometimes that’ll lend itself into deals that involve some equity or some element of investing. So I think it’s just a natural progression for a character like [him] … [to follow the lead] of the people that he looks up to and idolises … whether it’s LeBron or Kobe [Bryant], or Kevin Durant.”

For a player who has admitted to staying fit for tennis by playing street hoops with friends, putting money into basketball seemed a natural fit. Two years ago, just before he was forced to pull out of the 2023 Australian Open with a knee injury, he announced his financial interest in the Phoenix.

The Phoenix are rapt that Kyrgios – through his friendship with the club’s majority owner Romie Chaudhari – is on board. “They’ve been close for a number of years,” explained the Phoenix’s first chief executive, Tommy Greer.

“Romie supports him through his tennis, and they originally connected through conversations through his foundation. That’s really where the relationship sort of started, and it just built from there through Nick’s love of basketball.”

The club is fully aware of the benefits of having an athlete with such global appeal attached to the brand.

“It’s incredible,” says Greer.

“Our ownership group like to keep things spicy. To have someone with his notoriety and level of stardom, it’s incredible to have someone like that involved in the club, and just bringing attention to what we’re doing – attention to not only our club but the league in general.

“It’s been an incredible advantage for us.”

The sometimes rocky road

Duguid says the fact that Kyrgios was “predictably unpredictable” was part of the appeal of joining forces. But he also said there were “challenging” moments.

Less than two years ago, Kyrgios had an assault charge dismissed by a Canberra magistrate after he pleaded guilty to shoving his ex-girlfriend in 2021. The magistrate in the ACT Magistrates Court said the publicity of the trial, the time that had elapsed since the incident, and the fact that it appeared to be a one-off incident, meant the case did not warrant a conviction.

Just as Kyrgios continued to dip his toes into TV commentary at Wimbledon last year, the BBC attracted fierce criticism over their decision to hire him, considering his brush with the law.

Kyrgios responded to the criticism in an interview with Piers Morgan.

“Those things they’re bringing up have all been sorted [out] and dealt with,” Kyrgios said. “I’m in a beautiful relationship now with my [new] partner, and I’m in such a good stage in my life where me working with the BBC was a good opportunity for me.”

Asked about encountering any surprises when managing Kyrgios, Duguid said: “You know when you’re working with Nick that he’s predictably unpredictable, if that makes sense.

“Sometimes there’s situations which require a little bit of careful management in the aftermath.”

So, what’s really next, Nick?

In his extended interview with Bouris, Kyrgios sighs heavily when asked what he’ll be doing in a decade’s time. It’s a big question. “I really like a day-by-day mindset. If I wake up in good mood, that’s a win for me,” Kyrgios says.

But he’s adamant his life’s passions, such as basketball, will stay with him.

“I’m definitely going to be involved in the things I’m invested in now,” he says. “That’s always going to be something that gets my energy.”

Duguid would be rapt for Kyrgios to keep playing tennis for years yet, but ultimately that decision is Kyrgios’ to make.

“He’s had a pretty great tennis career, no matter what others might say, and he’s set up well to have a great lifestyle post-career if he wants,” says Duguid.

“He can make pretty decent money for the rest of his life being the next John McEnroe if he chooses to be, plus other endeavours. So he’s in a great spot.”

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