Nick Kyrgios steps up war of words with Aussie great Todd Woodbridge: ‘Don’t be jealous’

Nick Kyrgios has backed his friend and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis in a war of words with Australian tennis great Todd Woodbridge.

Kokkinakis was troubled by injury in Brisbane and Adelaide earlier this month before overcoming a fresh niggle to win his first-round match at the Australian Open this week.

But he received little sympathy around his latest health woes from Woodbridge, who argued Kokkinakis had to shoulder some of the blame for opting to play big-money exhibition events in the off-season.

Kokkinakis hit back with a sledge directed squarely at Woodbridge’s own career choices.

“That’s fine. He’s trying to make a good living as well, that’s why he’s trying to host every game show under the sun,” Kokkinakis said.

“We’re trying to make a living as much as he is.”

Kokkinakis, the world No.71, endured serious injury setbacks throughout his career and is openly capitalising on his good health when he can.

“Unfortunately ATP, sometimes, if you’re in a semi-final of a 250 event you don’t get as much as what you would playing an exhibition,” he said.

“I’ve been pretty vocal that the season’s too long but sometimes you’ve got to weigh up your options as far as trying to do what’s best for your career and best for the ranking.

“It’s a tricky one. It’s obviously a lot less stress on your body and mentally. I missed a lot of years and money not playing.”

Kyrgios has no doubt enjoyed the fruits of his entertainment value to pocket appearance fees from ATP tournaments while he has also appeared in exhibitions in the Middle East.

He praised Kokkinakis and also opted to send a message to Woodbridge.

“Facts!!! We out here earning 6-7 figures at these ‘exos’ — we have every right to go and get that money!!!!” Kyrgios wrote.

“The game is much more physical now then when some of these older heads played.

“Don’t be jealous we earning bread!!!!! We EARNED IT!”

He also wrote: “Hahahahahah with you Kokki — they would have done the same thing... thing is they were not getting six figures to show up for a couple days.”

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis are due to team up for another crack at the Australian Open doubles title on Thursday, three years after winning the trophy together.

Kokkinakis will first face 16th seed Jack Draper in a second-round feature match on Wednesday night with both carrying injury niggles.

The Aussie was forced out of Brisbane with a hip injury, then Adelaide with a shoulder complaint, before suffering a leg injury early in the second set of his first-round match.

Meanwhile, back and hip issues meant Draper entered the grand slam having not played since the Paris Masters in October.

Kyrgios, meanwhile, has been urged to kick on from the possible end of his singles career to become the best doubles player in the world.

The 29-year-old conceded after his loss on Monday that he may never again play a singles match at his home grand slam.

He has seven more opportunities to use his injury-protected singles ranking to gain direct entry into tournaments but the offer runs out in November.

When it does, leading American doubles analyst Will Boucek wants the mercurial talent to channel his energy and rich talent elsewhere.

“I really believe if he focuses on doubles, he’s got the skill set to be potentially the best doubles player in the world,” Boucek told AAP on Tuesday.

“A few things make him specifically good at doubles.

“He can take returns really early so he can step forward and kind of use a SABR (Sneak Attack By Roger)-type return, and what that does is it totally neutralises the opposing net player.

“So the ball gets past the server’s partner really quickly and back to the server. He can also turn and volley with that.”

An ATP and WTA doubles strategy analyst, having worked with top-10 teams at the US Open, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, the Australian Open, the WTA Finals and the Olympics, Boucek ranks Kyrgios as more naturally talented than Roger Federer.

“He’s got all the shots and would be unrivalled for sure with his skill set,” he said.

“Potentially his ball skills are some of the best of all time, and then obviously his serve is massive, which is going to make it easy.

“He’s tall, so he’s got a big reach so he’s good at the net for his partner and can cover a lot of area.

“So I absolutely think he could be one of the top, if not the top, doubles players in the world if he wants to focus on it.”

Being a grand slam doubles contender could also help Kyrgios the great showman to remain a centre of attention, Boucek reckons, while also extending his career.

Boucek is convinced the Special Ks — Kyrgios and Kokkinakis — can be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.

“Having a partner would also help Nick focus and play better,” he said.

“On the singles court, for me historically, it has been like he’s very afraid to try and not lose, so he’d rather just not try.

“I think that mentality goes away because he has a partner, a mate as well, that he wants to try for.”

Three rounds of wrist and knee surgery have sidelined the one-time world No.13 and 2022 Wimbledon finalist for almost two and a half years.

“That’s one of the things about doubles - you can sustain your career a lot longer,” Boucek said.

“We’re seeing it with ‘Boo’ (Rohan Bopanna) winning the Australian Open last year at 43 (with Australian Matt Ebden).

“Rajeev Ram is 40 now. (Paris Olympics gold medallist) Ebden is probably not that close to retiring and he is 37.

“So, yeah, a lot of the top doubles players are a little bit older because you only have to cover a portion of the court.

“It’s just easier on the body for sure.”

- with AAP