"Villian" Nick Kyrgios opens up about his 'King Kyrgios' nickname

Nick Kyrgios is often referred to as 'King Kyrgios' by tennis fans, the same nickname that he goes by on social media as well. The Australian recently opened up on how the nickname came about and why it stuck around on the tennis tour.

Nick Kyrgios has often found himself in controversies due to his actions on and off the court. These antics have helped Kyrgios establish a solid fan base who affectionately call him 'King Kyrgios.'

In a recent video posted on social media, the Australian discussed how this nickname was birthed, revealing that he created his Instagram account at the age of 10 and used '@k1ngkyrg1os' as his username, which he hasn't changed since.

After that, as he went on to beat Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic in his first matches against them, fans started using the Instagram handle literally. According to the former World No. 13's own testimony, they started showing up at his games with 'King Kyrgios' posters and shirts with the nickname printed on them.

Kyrgios went on to say that he embraced the nickname and his status on the ATP tour as the "villain" after seeing such support.

"I think I made my Instagram when I was about 10 years old, and that was my handle. I guess I haven't changed it since. So, it just stayed around. And as I was playing these tournaments and when I beat Federer, Djokovic, and Nadal for the first time on my first try. I guess that kinda nickname stuck in tennis world," Kyrgios said.

"Tennis fans started, you know, bringing signs and wearing shirts with King all over it, and I guess it just stuck and kind of embraced my tennis career. It's almost like a villain. That's just what it is."

As he himelf admitted, Nick Kyrgios is one of the most divisive figures in tennis. He has often gotten into trouble for his on-court arguments as well as eyebrow-raising statements to the media.

Kyrgios' personal life has also been in the spotlight recently, as the Aussie faced charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari earlier this year. Kyrgios issued a public apology and pleaded guilty to shoving Passari, for which he did not face any criminal charges.

Nick Kyrgios to return to the court to play an exhibition match

Nick Kyrgios

The World No. 26 has not played a single match on the ATP Tour in 2023. His last professional match came in October 2022, when he withdrew from his quarterfinal clash against Taylor Fritz at the Tokyo Open. While Nick Kyrgios has played more matches since then, they all came at exhibition events.

Currently recovering from a knee injury, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist will again be in action soon, but in another exhibition event against World No. 7 Holger Rune. The Energi Danmark Champions Battle will be played at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 24. Rune, by contrast, has had a great 2023 season, racking up his fourth ATP title in Munich and reaching his highest-ever ranking on the ATP Tour.