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“I’m trying to be a good role model and show that someone like me is able to still have fun, no matter what you look like, or where you come from.”
Kyrgios said it would not be fair of him to deny someone such as Wawrinka the chance to play at Melbourne Park when he had doubts on his ability in his current condition to compete against the world’s best.
Kyrgios hit his share of winners and aces in a three-set win over China’s Zhang Zhizhen.Credit: Getty Images
“I’m not even sure that I could back up one round,” he said.
“I think Stan completely deserves a wildcard, and obviously some of the other Aussies as well. I’m still playing doubles and hopefully a bit of mixed as well, so it’s special just to be a part of it.”
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Kyrgios will play in the Australian Open’s “1-Point Slam”, but is less sure of his tournament plans once this summer finishes. He has not played at Roland-Garros since 2017, and confirmed on Tuesday that his Paris drought would not end this year.
“Honestly, my whole goal was just to get through all of last month and the Aussie summer, and re-evaluate where my body is,” Kyrgios said.
“If I’m still able to produce a bit of a level like [today against Zhang], I think Wimbledon is a bit easier physically.
“If I’m able to put a couple of good months together, training-wise, we’ll see. But as of right now, I’ve got that 1 Point Slam tomorrow that I’m going to try and lock in for.”
Kyrgios also hailed the health of Australian tennis, headlined by six-time major quarter-finalist and world No.6 Alex de Minaur, but more pointed was his comparison of the camaraderie between the current crop and his prime.
“I think the state of Australian tennis right now is probably as good as it’s ever been,” he said.
Alex de Minaur is the standard-bearer for Australian tennis.Credit: Getty Images
“We’re so deep. Obviously, Demon’s flying the flag from the front, and then you’ve got a load of players who are in the top 100, top 250, who are contenders pretty much every week in all these small tournaments.
“It’s good to see that because I feel like when I played, and when I was coming up, there wasn’t always great unity between the players. There was always a lot of competition between us, which is good, but now, there’s a lot of camaraderie. They all support each other, and that’s always what I would have wanted as well.”
- Marc McGowan
Cruz Hewitt out of AO in straight sets to American college player
There was barely an empty seat on the popular show court for Australian players located smack-bang in the middle of Melbourne Park on Tuesday.
Previously known as show court three but adorned with a sponsor’s name for 2026, fans knew where to head to catch a glimpse of a familiar name in an Australian Open first-round qualifying match.
Close to 30,000 patrons came to Melbourne Park on Monday as the three-week AO launched with a bang. The next day, however, the mood was gentler, reminiscent of past qualifying days with fewer patrons in the house compared to the first day of “opening week”.
Cruz Hewitt lost in Australian Open qualifying on Tuesday.Credit: Penny Stephens
They knew where to go, however – straight to the renamed ANZ Arena, keen to witness 17-year-old Cruz Hewitt, the son of an Australian tennis legend and a qualifying wildcard recipient, pitted against American Michael Zheng.
The assignment, as it turned out for world No.732 Hewitt – trying to keep tabs with a 21-year-old with a decent college tennis pedigree – proved too big.
Last year, when Hewitt received his first AO qualifying wildcard not long after his 16th birthday, the draw threw him against Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, a former world No.16, and the raw teenager lost in straight sets. And again, this year, the draw wasn’t that kind to him.
Hewitt lost 6-3, 6-3 to Zheng, going down in two 38-minute sets. He declined requests to speak to the media post-match.
But there were good moments for the 185-centimetre Hewitt, a promising young talent who was recognised with the junior athlete of the year (male) award at last year’s Newcombe Medal awards.
Hewitt served first and dug deep after staring down multiple break points. He clinched the first game and earned a scoreboard advantage with an ace down the tee, the 1-0 score bringing the crowd to life.
Then in the second set, it was mainly a case of Hewitt trying to hang on. He turned a 1-4 deficit to 3-4. Facing the task of holding serve to raise hopes of a set win and forcing a decider, a double fault at 30-30 proved costly. Not long after Zheng closed out the win.
With appearances in the junior events at all four slams last year, Hewitt’s match experience in front of another decent audience will only add to his catalogue of moments to draw upon as he looks to forge a pro career.
Elsewhere, veteran Australian Storm Hunter breezed through the first round of qualifying in straight sets to mark an impressive return to Melbourne Park.
The most high-profile Australian in action on Tuesday, Hunter claimed a 7-5, 6-3 win over Georgia’s Ekaterine Gorgodze in an hour and 23 minutes on Kia Arena.
The 31-year-old, a former world No.1 doubles player, missed last year’s Open as she recovered from a ruptured Achilles.
Storm Hunter in action at Melbourne Park.Credit: AAP
A lowly singles ranking of No.363 meant Hunter, who boasts a third-round singles appearance in Melbourne two years ago, had to rely on a wildcard just to go through qualifying.
“I was like, ‘Wow , I’m missing out, and don’t know if I’m going to be back’,” she said of her experience watching on last year.
“So to just get the win today felt amazing.”
Having blitzed through qualifying in the past, Hunter is confident she can again reach the main draw.
“I can beat anyone. And I have qualified here at Aussie Open, qualified at Wimbledon, qualified at French,” she said.
“So I know what it takes, but same time, I know how hard it is to do it.
“To be honest it’s incredibly difficult to qualify, and I’m just going to take it day by day.”
Hunter will play Serbia’s Lola Radivojevic in the qualifying second round after the 21-year-old overcame a scare from 18-year-old Australian Alana Subasic.
The pair have never played each other.
“I’ll watch footage and then speak to my team,” Hunter said.
“But a lot of my game and focus is about myself and how I play.
“When I’m aggressive, I can put pressure on anyone, no matter how they play.“
- Scott Spits with AAP
