Nick Kyrgios has received some unprompted shots ahead of his long-awaited comeback as he has been ripped as "overrated and a clown" by 2009 ATP Finals champion Nikolay Davydenko and former doubles world No. 1 Elena Vesnina.
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Early in his career, the Australian was drawing both positive and negative attention as there was no doubt that he was one of the most talented and promising players but his behavior and on-court outbursts also quickly made him one of the most criticized players.
However, in 2022, Kyrgios was able to put up a huge year and enjoy his career-best season - that included reaching the Wimbledon final and clinching several top-10 wins over the course of the year. But then unfortunately for the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, he was hit with serious knee and wrist injuries and has played just one tournament in the last two years.
Davydenko, Vesnina slam Kyrgios
This month, it was confirmed that the 29-year-old was recovering well and that he would be ready for the Australian Open. However, not everyone seems to be excited about his comeback.
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"He is generally overrated. When it was time to play, he was always injured. In short, lets forget about him," former four-time Grand Slam finalist Davydenko told BetBoom Tennis.
Sharing her thoughts on the Australian, four-time Grand Slam winner in doubles, Vesnina, agreed with the comment made by her compatriot: "Clown, I agree. But he was incredibly talented and gifted. He had a powerful serve and a superb forehand. But when it came to winning a major title, all that went up in smoke."
Meanwhile, Kyrgios had something for his critics and doubters when confirming his return. In his message, the former world No. 13 said that his goal would be to win a Grand Slam because "that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day."
