Nick Kyrgios Shares Real Thoughts on Ben Shelton and The Player the American Brings to Mind

Nick Kyrgios will face Ben Shelton in the Atlanta Cup exhibition tournament, which starts on December 6.

Nick Kyrgios Shares Real Thoughts on Ben Shelton and The Player the American Brings to Mind

Ben Shelton and Nick Kyrgios (via X/The Tennis Letter)

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Nick Kyrgios has heaped praise on American star Ben Shelton ahead of their exhibition clash on Saturday (December 6). The former World No.13 is set to return to the court for the first time since the Citi Open. He will use the Atlanta Cup exhibition tournament as a warm-up for the Battle of the Sexes clash against Aryna Sabalenka.

Kyrgios returned to the tour earlier this season and was seeking to have a good run that would eventually build his confidence on the court. During his time on the sidelines, he underwent surgeries and took over nine months to recuperate. He played his first tour match at the Brisbane International, where he failed to win a singles match.

He crashed out in the opening round of the Australian Open and Indian Wells. It was at the Miami Open, he earned his only singles win of the season, beating American star MacKenzie McDonald, but lost to Karen Khachanov in the next match. Meanwhile, Shelton had an amazing 2025 season.

He broke into the ATP top 10 for the first time in his career and participated in the season-ending tournament in Turin, where he failed to win a single match. He impressed with his high-quality serving technique, which always confuses his opponents. He won his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open in Toronto.

Shelton and Kyrgios will participate in the Atlanta Cup exhibition event and are likely to face each other. During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Kyrgios admitted that he knows the crowd will be on Shelton’s side as the 23-year-old is an Atlanta-native. He added that Shelton is an incredible player:

No, I definitely think the crowd will be behind Shelton, for sure. He’s an incredible player, and after the year he’s had, and some of the energy that he brings, I see a lot of myself in his tennis, his risk-taking, and the way he interacts with the crowd as well. I’m definitely gonna feel some love there, but at the same time, you’re talking about one of the best players in the world coming from Atlanta. So, I’m not gonna be too surprised when the crowd really embraces Ben.

Besides Shelton and Kyrgios, Naomi Osaka and Aryna Sabalenka will also feature at the Atlanta Cup. Sabalenka and Osaka will face each other in the women’s singles. Both players finished the season on a high, with Osaka reaching the final of the Canadian Open and the quarter-finals of the US Open, while Sabalenka ended the season as year-end World No.1.

Nick Kyrgios says he’s physically good but not to the level of the ATP as he nears return to tour

Nick Kyrgios hinted this year that he could retire from the sport as injuries continue to limit his potential. However, with the upcoming Atlanta Cup and Battle of the Sexes clash, the former World No.13 looks far from finished with the sport. He is steadily building a strong media presence and also ramping up for another year on tour.

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios (via X/Jose Morgado)

He will be hoping to get some wins during the exhibition tournament, especially the Battle of the Sexes clash against Aryna Sabalenka. During the aforementioned interview, he revealed that he’s currently feeling good physically and that there has been some massive improvement in his wrist and knee:

I’m feeling really good, actually. The last couple of months, I’ve had some massive improvement in my wrist and my knee as well. So, I’m just doing everything I can at the moment to manage that, and I’m super excited to even just get back out there and play. It’s obviously not an ATP full match, but at the same time, we’re gonna go out there and be in an amazing atmosphere and play one of the best players in the world.

Kyrgios is yet to reveal his first tournament next season ahead of the Australian Open. Last year, he featured at the Brisbane International before the Melbourne Grand Slam, but ultimately played in exhibition tournaments. He looks to be following the same routine as he prepares for the 2026 season.

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