Boris Becker skips Australian Open trip as Holger Rune's coach, opts instead for pundit role alongside Nick Kyrgios despite recent feud

Despite their recent feud, Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker will be seen working together as pundits at the upcoming Australian Open.

The fight between the two started when Kyrgios opined that tennis has evolved over the years and that past legends like Becker would struggle to compete in the fast-paced modern game. That prompted the German to take to social media and challenge the Australian's credibility; Becker pointed out that Kyrgios has never won a Grand Slam singles title, either as a player or as a coach.

In response Kyrgios claimed there was irony in Becker speaking about credibility, citing his imprisonment in the United Kingdom for illegally hiding assets in his bankruptcy claim.

Despite the publicly strained relationship, the two are set to work together later this month. Both Kyrgios and Becker have been confirmed as pundits for the 2024 Australian Open, with French broadcaster Eurosport.

Kyrgios made his broadcasting debut during his recent injury layoff. He worked for Tennis Channel during their coverage of the ATP Finals.

The 28-year-old, who has withdrawn from the Asia-Pacific Major this year, joins Eurosport's line-up of pundits that includes John McEnroe, Mats Wilander, Justine Henin, Alex Corretja, Barbara Schett, Tim Henman, Laura Robson and Becker.

Becker's inclusion comes as a surprise, as he was expected to make the trip Down Under after being hired as Holger Rune's coach last year.

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Nick Kyrgios: "I never took myself seriously enough to one day be on the ATP tour"

Nick Kyrgios has been struggling with injuries in recent months.

Nick Kyrgios is known for having a more laid-back attitude than his peers on the tour. In a recent interview, he stated that in his formative years, he never thought he would be playing on the ATP tour — let alone competing with and defeating the likes of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

"Tennis was, it was such an interesting journey. You know, I never thought I was 17, 18, still in school and people were telling me, you could really do something. I never took myself seriously enough to one day be on the [ATP] tour, beating people like Djokovic, Nadal & Federer. It was just never in my mind. And then all of a sudden it just happened. And my life changed," he said on an episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.

Kyrgios is currently recovering from a knee injury, which was also the reason why he played only one match in the entire 2023 season. While he was expected to make a comeback at the Australian Open this month, the Aussie eventually announced that he would miss his fifth Grand Slam in a row.

Taking to his OnlyFans account, he stated:

"I won’t be able to compete at the 2024 Australian Open. Obviously, [this is] heartbreaking. I’ve had so many amazing memories there, and I just want to really get back to playing at the top of my game and doing it right, and I need a little more time."