The Australian, who was beaten in the 2022 Wimbledon final by Novak Djokovic, had his temperament frequently questioned after on-court outbursts and meltdowns early in his career, but denied he was “a bad boy”.

“I guess I was branded that just because I was a bit outside the circle of what a normal tennis player is,” he added.

“I don’t think I carry that perception with the Aussie public anymore. But at the start of my career, people thought I was like a murderer.”

With long-time rival Rafael Nadal announcing his retirement last week and Djokovic now 37, Kyrgios – who has been working as a commentator during his absence – believes the game is “the most open it has ever been”.

Last week, Australian Open chief Craig Tiley said he hoped Kyrgios would play at the season-opening Grand Slam, which starts in Melbourne Park on 12 January.

He added that the player would be in the main draw, whether through a protected ranking or a wildcard, as opposed to being forced through qualifying.

“The confidence that we get about Nick playing is in his preparation, we know he’s doing more than he’s done before,” he said.

“We know that he wants to do it. We know that he’s mentally preparing to get ready to play in January. So we fully expect to see him.”