Kyrgios’ Davis Cup exile to end
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Wayward tennis talent Nick Kyrgios may be a “different character” but Australia’s Davis Cup team is better with him in it, according to captain Lleyton Hewitt.
Hewitt, who omitted Kyrgios from a February tie against Bosnia and Herzegovina for failing “cultural standards”, has ended the 24-year-old’s exile by naming him in the team for next month’s revamped finals in Spain.
Twice Grand Slam champion Hewitt has looked past Kyrgios’s recent behavior, which has included a major meltdown at a tournament in Cincinnati in August, and subsequently branding the men’s ATP Tour as “pretty corrupt” during the US Open.
Kyrgios earned a suspended six-month ban in September for those transgressions but it only applies to the ATP Tour and not the Davis Cup.
“Nick’s a different character and I understand that and we’re not always going to put everybody in the same box,” Hewitt told reporters yesterday.
“You’ve got to deal with different personalities in all kind of sports, and I feel like I know Nick as well as anyone.
“I feel like on the Davis Cup court he’s done everything I’ve needed in the past whenever he’s been a part of the team. He hasn’t put a foot wrong.”
World No. 30 Kyrgios, a devastating player when motivated and injury-free, joins Alex de Minaur, John Millman, Jordan Thompson and doubles specialist John Peers on the Australia team for his first Davis Cup appearance in nearly two years.
Australia has been pooled with Belgium and Colombia in Group D for the 18-nation finals in Madrid from November 18-24.
Hewitt, a two-time Davis Cup winner with Australia, said he and Kyrgios had mended fences in March at Indian Wells and were in regular contact.
“I got a message (from him) saying ‘mate, I want to get back in the team’,” added the 38-year-old.
“The great thing is, he has a great relationship with all the players as well.
“It’s kind of about him wanting to be a part of the team and do the right things day in day out.
“For me, I’d much rather have him on my team.”
Andy Murray, meanwhile, has been chosen to play for Britain in the Davis Cup finals, organizers said on Monday.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who won a title on Sunday for the first time since hip surgery in January, has not played in the tournament since 2016.
Britain will play the Netherlands and Kazakhstan in the group stage of the tournament.
Also, Rafael Nadal and Daniil Medvedev could meet in a repeat of the US Open final after being chosen to represent Spain and Russia, respectively. The 2018 champion Croatia is also in that group.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic has been named to Serbia’s team, which faces France and Japan.
Kei Nishikori is missing from Japan’s team. An arm injury has prevented the eighth-ranked Nishikori from playing since his US Open third-round loss to de Minaur in August.
“So sad to miss this,” Nishikori wrote on Twitter.
Germany’s team is led by 41st-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff in the absence of sixth-ranked Alexander Zverev, who has instead chosen to play a series of exhibition matches against Roger Federer in Mexico and South America.
The 31st-ranked Taylor Fritz is the highest-ranked player on the United States team alongside Reilly Opelka, Sam Querrey, Francis Tiafoe and Jack Sock.
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