After months of prolepsis, Nick Kyrgios is all set to make his Grand Slam comeback at the Australian Open, his first since the 2022 US Open. Known for his raw talent and fiery personality, Kyrgios is ready to face UK’s Jacob Fearnley in the opening round at Melbourne starting on January 12. But surely, tennis isn’t his only focus! Alongside him is his long-time partner, Costeen Hatzi, though their low-key online romance speaks volumes. Instead of public displays of affection, Kyrgios showcased his signature wit on his social handle this time, proving he’s just as sharp off the court as he is on it.
Costeen Hatzi, who often spotted courtside cheering for her significant other, arrived in Melbourne in authentic style to support Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open. The social media influencer, model, and entrepreneur regularly gives fans a glimpse of her journey to the tournament, turning up the heat this summer. And what’s on the cards? Effortlessly posing by the practice courts in a chic white tank and vibrant grassy green miniskirt! Costeen Hatzi shared moments alongside Paige Lorenze, Tommy Paul’s girlfriend, through the Instagram post captioning the carousel, “Game, set, match.” And guess who takes a dig at that? Of course, the Aussie.
Taking to his Instagram handle, the 29-year-old just gave his views on his girlfriend’s post, writing, “Oh she think she know tennis now.” Along with his picture of his girlfriend, Nick also showed his intense training at the center court while sharing a glimpse of signing autographs for fans. However, is this the first time you think the Aussie showed his witty banter about his lady love? Absolutely not!
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
One of the stories of their banter goes back to May 2023. The Aussie professional shared a clip from Incredibles 2 where Edna Mode, a superhero fashion designer, showed off her suits for the baby of the family. He quoted, “When you show me your new outfits😂❤,” complimenting Hatzi’s style and personality. That’s not all!
In December of that year, Nick Kyrgios brought laughs to Instagram again by sharing a Minions meme featuring Felonious Gru. The meme humorously contrasts Gru in two scenarios: first, confidently cool and sharply dressed with the caption “My Boyfriend with his friends,” and hilariously in a princess outfit labeled “My Boyfriend with me” in the other one. The comedic post, shared by the tennis star himself, added a lighthearted twist to the relationship.
Their love story started when the Aussie tennis player first encountered Hatzi’s profile online in late 2021 while shopping for a mirror and found the perfect one being sold by her. And that’s it! The old yet gold ‘Love at first sight’ from the Aussie’s side. However, the news came to life when Hatzi announced their relationship with an Instagram post, one of their first couple photos on January 2, 2022, quoting, “Not a bad way to start 2022”! Since then, the duo has been together, and his lady love has always been a constant pillar of strength for him, both personally and professionally.
The Aussie star will be counting on support from his long-time partner during the upcoming AO on home soil. However, in the meantime, the former Swedish tennis pro predicts that Nick’s performance at the Brisbane International could hint at a potential “big upset” for his opponents in the upcoming AO after his extended absence from the court.
“Nick looks like he’s in good shape,” Mats Wilander shares his views
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
Another comeback story is on the verge! The participation of Nick Kyrgios at the upcoming AO is a long coming now. However, it was unfortunate for him. Isn’t it? The Australian ace was on an ‘upward trajectory’ in 2022, reaching the Wimbledon final and winning the AO doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. However, several injuries curtailed his progression to the top which forced him from multiple events, and underwent surgeries like knee surgery and wrist reconstruction.
Despite that, he made a comeback at the 2025 Brisbane International, where he lost to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in three sets in singles. While he played an on-song match against him, medical attention was required for his troublesome wrist on multiple occasions. This is precisely where tennis veteran Mats Wilander fears Nick may struggle to become a serious threat at the tournament.
Taking to the Eurosport, Wilander added, “Nick looks like he’s in good shape. Obviously, he was struggling a little bit with his right wrist. That’s a big problem and that’s what happens when you haven’t played that many matches and you’re trying to get ready for a big tournament like the Australian Open. A good tournament would be winning a couple of matches, maybe taking out one of the big seeds. He can definitely create some shock results, some big upsets in the first three, four rounds. Could he get to the quarter-finals? That would be a massive, massive achievement, and he would have gone past any kind of expectations.”
ADVERTISEMENT Article continues below this ad
He further added, “No one wants to play Nick Kyrgios. The one thing we know about Nick is that he’s going to choose what court he wants to play on and he’s going to play on the second-biggest court at the Australian Open. It’s where they let the ground pass holders come in, and the atmosphere is completely different from playing at the Rod Laver Arena. It’s kind of like if you put a tennis court in the middle of Henman Hill at Wimbledon. It’s wild, it’s loud, and a lot of players are not used to that. He loves that atmosphere.”
As time progresses, the anticipation around Nick’s return to Grand Slam is making buzz among his fans. Stay tuned at ES as we will cover his first match against Jacob Fearnley right here!