"You've got to want to be there" - Rafter on Kyrgios in Australian Davis Cup team

The 2023 ATP season may be the one in which the Australian Davis Cup raises back to the top, but they will need Nick Kyrgios to do so.

The Australian men's tennis is currently enjoying the best years since Lleyton Hewitt, who is the team captain. In 2022, two out of four Grand Slam doubles events were won by Australians, and in singles, Nick Kyrgios played Wimbledon final. That puts Australia in a great position to succeed in doubles, but Kyrgios didn't join them at the 2022 Davis Cup Finals. Discussing whether that will change in 2023, former world no. 1 Pat Rafter said:

"He will have to work out how he goes about all that. I don't really know what goes on with him," Rafter said. "Would'ves. Should'ves. Could'ves. You've got to want to be there. If you don't, you don't just let down yourself, you let down the team."

"Obviously you have got Lleyton there running the show. Lleyton has to work out how he wants to structure his team and how he wants it all to evolve. Kygrios will dictate his results. He will dictate who he is."

There were also talks that Kyrgios and Hewitt may not be on the best terms currently. However, also according to Rafter, that probably isn't true. Former world no. 1 Hewitt spoke highly about the 2022 Wimbledon finalist also during the Davis Cup, further confirming that everything is fine within the team.

"I don't know. They are together here at the United Cup. They have been together before in Davis Cup. He is captain again. We will wait and see what happens but it could work. It is going to be interesting," he added.