Aussie superstar, Nick Kyrgios is gearing up for a much-anticipated return to tennis. He’ll take part at the Brisbane International before trying his hands out at the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season. However, amid his much-awaited return, his constant jibe at players like Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek over their recent doping controversies has put him in the headlines over the last few weeks. We’ve also seen several bigwigs from the tennis world like Andy Roddick and Mark Petchey heavily criticising the Aussie for his controversial comments. Now, there is a new addition to that list! Who’s it?

Just a few days ago, while expressing his excitement to make a return to the Tour, we saw Nick Kyrgios taking an indirect dig at Sinner and Swiatek. He said, “Feels good getting these consecutive days training in the bank man…. Wrist re-construction and back out here… blessed………………Without failing any drug tests 🙂‍↕️🙏🏽 be proud kygs doing it the right way 😩😂.” After that, while reacting to a comment on that same post, he wrote, “I have an 8 figure career. Grand slam finalist and beaten all of the greatest of all time. Doesn’t seem bad to me. No drugs either.“

So, he has been constantly stirring the pot on the doping controversy over the last few days. Recently, the 43-year-old American former tennis player, Alexandra Stevenson was seen having some questions over the Aussie star. During the recent episode of the ‘Serving Aces’ podcast, Stevenson highlighted those indirect jibes from Kyrgios and stated, “I mean c’mon after Iga and Jannik now he’s like, ‘I’m proud, I’m not doping.‘ Maybe he’s smoking pot or something (laughs). I’m sure he’s not that clean.“

She further added, “So, anyway Nick you better be clean before you start in Brisbane because you can’t be tweeting this stuff and be like ‘I’ve not failed any drug test, I’m good.’“ For those who are unaware, a few years ago, Nick Kyrgios spoke about a few challenges that he faced in his professional career. While doing so, he spoke about how he used to “feel lonely, depressed, negative, abusing alcohol, drugs and pushing away his family & friends.“

Highlighting his previous revelations some of the fans have already started to question, “He boasts of never having tested positive for any test. How is this possible? Did he know about the tests in advance or was he just lucky? 🤔” Now, this recent criticism from Stevenson has added a new dimension to this topic. However, Alexandra Stevenson didn’t stop there, she further added, “He’s (Kyrgios) already throwing shade. The shade has been thrown, the tea has been stirred. He’s ready to shop in Brisbane and get him on face since he thinks he’s gonna win a Grand Slam.“

However, this isn’t the first time that we’ve seen Stevenson criticizing Nick Kyrgios for his comments. In September, she took a jibe at the Aussie for his controversial comments on Jannik Sinner’s girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya. Now, shifting our focus back to his comeback, what are Nick Kyrgios’ targets in the next few months?

“My target is a Grand Slam” – Nick Kyrgios looks confident ahead of the 2025 season

Nick Kyrgios’ best record at the Grand Slam tournaments came at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships. He reached the finals over there and in the same year, he also made it to the QF of the US Open. He’s now 29 years old and there’s no doubt about his potential, in fact, he’s a proven contender! However, somehow things haven’t clicked for him when it mattered the most. Can he turn things around in the next few years?

“I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day. That’ll be my deep motivation,” said the Aussie in a previous interview. So, everyone is eagerly waiting for him to hit the court with the racquet in his hand. What does one of Australia’s greatest tennis players, Pat Rafter think of his chances in the 2025 AO?

Well, according to Rafter, “You’d never write anyone off with the talent that Nick has. It’s pretty amazing. I really don’t know what he’s done, though. A year and a half off the game … it’s going to be interesting. I have no expectations or understanding about how he is going to go. I think it’s all up in the air.” How far does Pat Rafter think, Nick Kyrgios can go in the AO this year?

In reply to this question, the tennis legend stated, “I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he made it to the quarterfinals or semifinals, but I wouldn’t be surprised either if he lost in the first round.” What are your thoughts on this? How far do you think Kyrgios can go in the first Grand Slam tournament of the 2025 season?