Nick Kyrgios has called out Andy Murray for thinking he was “too important” to appear on the Aussie’s podcast, Good Trouble. Kyrgios and Murray used to have a close relationship away from the court, even visiting theme parks together during tournaments.
The three-time Major winner often defended Kyrgios when he received criticism for his antics on and off the court. But the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, who has been sidelined by injuries for the better part of three years, now believes they may not even be friends anymore.
Kyrgios appeared on the latest episode of the Unscripted by Josh Mansour podcast, where he shed light on the state of his relationship with Murray.
“I mean, I wouldn’t even know if he’s a friend anymore. I guess he’s just like a colleague, like, I mean, we used to be closer, but then, I don’t know,” the former world No. 13 said.
Asked whether Murray supported him through his ‘darkest times’, Kyrgios replied: “Yes, he did. He was one of the people who was very supportive of me through that, but now we kind of don’t talk as much.
“I wanted him on my podcast, and he acted too important. So there’s your truth. It’s like, bro, find some time.”
Murray and Kyrgios have had few opportunities to cross paths in recent years. The Aussie enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, finishing runner-up at Wimbledon, claiming his seventh career title in Washington, and winning the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis.
However, he suffered a knee injury towards the end of the season and was forced to retire from the Japan Open in Tokyo. Kyrgios returned to play doubles with Kokkinakis at the ATP Finals, but he later underwent knee surgery and didn’t play for months.
The 30-year-old returned at the ATP 250 event in Stuttgart in June 2023 but picked up a new wrist injury during his first-round defeat to Yibing Wu. Kyrgios spent more than a year on the sidelines before making another comeback in Brisbane at the start of the season.
He has played just four events this year, also entering the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami. His sole match win in singles came at the Miami Open, but he has not played since bowing out in the second round there.
Although Kyrgios’ friendship with Murray seems to have fizzled out, the two-time Olympic champion always supported the Australian ace when he first came onto the tour.
Before they met in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2016, Kyrgios talked up their close bond and said: “It was love at first sight! We joke a lot. Obviously when he’s in the locker room, it’s just instant banter.
“He’s a very relaxed guy, down‑to‑earth. He baits me a lot of time. He’s always very funny. It helps. He’s a great guy. I’m just looking forward to go out there. I’m obviously relaxed, I’m nervous as well. I’m looking forward to going out there with him.”
Meanwhile, Murray told reporters: “You guys try and wind him up the whole time. It’s not really fair on him, to be honest. When he makes a mistake, yeah, it’s fine… But it happens a lot where it doesn’t seem like he’s really done much in comparison to what other players are doing – and he’s the one that gets asked all the questions about it.”