Andy Roddick has made a bold statement regarding Nick Kyrgios, likening the Australian’s talent to that of tennis greats Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. This praise comes in the wake of Kyrgios appearing to make a doping allegation against the 2003 US Open champion.
For nearly a year, Roddick has hosted a podcast where discussions about the Big Three have become common, especially following Nadal’s retirement. In a recent episode, the former world No. 1 highlighted Kyrgios as a player whose talent and game intelligence closely match that of the sport’s elite.
Roddick expressed regret that Kyrgios has been sidelined for the past two years, particularly after a standout season in 2022. He stated, “Kyrgios is great for the sport. I wish he was around more often. I’d love to see him fully commit to three years of the right decisions. He’s amazing. He’s one of the only players I’ve seen on par with the Big Three in terms of talent and tennis IQ. I would go back in a heartbeat without thinking twice if I could have his game and my ability to endure pain. We would’ve been a good player.”
Kyrgios first gained attention at age 18 when he upset Nadal in his 2014 Wimbledon debut. He followed this with a thrilling three-set victory over Federer the next year and secured back-to-back wins against Djokovic in 2017. Early in his career, he was expected to win multiple Grand Slam titles and reach the No. 1 ranking. In 2022, he came close to achieving this but fell short against Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
Unfortunately, injuries to his knee and wrist limited Kyrgios to just one tournament during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. However, he is set to return to competition in early 2025 in Brisbane.
Recently, Kyrgios made headlines for his comments about Roddick. On his podcast, Roddick defended Iga Swiatek after her failed doping test was questioned. He described the situation as “unfortunate,” stating, “I can’t call it doping. It’s like taking melatonin for jet lag. Think about how many things had to go wrong for Iga Swiatek to get popped for melatonin. It just sucks because the headlines will say, ‘Ah, doping!’ I’ve taken melatonin before. Who’s to say ours weren’t contaminated?”
Roddick had previously criticized conspiracy theories surrounding the Jannik Sinner case as “psychotic.” Following his comments on Swiatek, one user on social media reacted strongly, questioning Roddick’s stance on doping in tennis and suggesting he might have benefited from performance-enhancing substances during his career.
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