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Sloane Stephens is all set to begin her campaign at the 2024 Australian Open, and Nick Kyrgios has urged her to bring her A-game to Melbourne.
Stephens will face local player and wildcard Olivia Gadecki in the first round on Monday, January 15. Ahead of her match, Nick Kyrgios commented on the American and his perception of her game style.
While reacting to the main draw ceremony of the tournament, Kygrios praised Stephens as someone who can tear apart any opponent and win tournaments with her flawless performance. However, Kyrgios believes that on many occasions, the former US Open champion lets go of matches too easily.
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The Australian urged Stephens to "wake up" for the year's first Grand Slam. He added that the American is a player he loves to watch.
"Sloane (Stephens) always amazes, like someone that could rock up to any event and win it. Or just can't be bothered. I mean, Sloane, wake up! Slams! She is chilling. I like watching Sloane. Good athlete. Fun to watch," Kyrgios said.
Nick Kyrgios is not participating in his home slam this year and pulled out of the competition due to a wrist injury. However, he will be intimately involved in the tournament as a commentator and an analyst.
The 28-year-old has joined ESPN's commentary team. Kyrgios will also join Eurosport's team and is set for a reunion with Boris Becker, with whom he recently had an online feud.
As for Sloane Stephens, she will come into the 2024 Australian Open after a first-round exit at the hands of Yue Yuan at the Hobart International. At the Brisbane International, she notched her first win of the year against Katerina Siniakova before losing to Elise Mertens.
Sloane Stephens' best performance at Australian Open has been semifinals
Sloane Stephens made her debut at the Australian Open in 2012. Next year, she put together her best performance at the tournament. As the No. 29 seed, the American defeated Simona Halep, Kristina Mladenovic, Laura Robson, Bojana Jovanovski, and Serena Williams to reach the semifinals.
Her fairy tale run was ended by top seed and eventual champion Victoria Azarenka, 6-1, 6-4. Stephens' next best performances in Melbourne were fourth-round finishes in 2014 and 2019.
However, the 30-year-old has been on a dry patch at the Australian Open, failing to win any matches in the competition since 2019. She was ousted by Shuai Zhang in 2020, Yulia Putintseva in 2021, Emma Raducanu in 2022, and Anastasia Potapova in 2023.
