MELBOURNE, Australia — Here on the island that was once the center of the men’s tennis world — the land of Laver and Rosewall, Emerson and Newcombe and other gods of the game — the strangest of dynamics has emerged.

The rest of the globe obsesses about Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Down here, it’s all about their own tennis yin and yang.

One is a top-10 player who will do whatever he can to avoid controversy, while dedicating every ounce of his energy to the sport. The other is an unranked unicorn, most at home in the middle ring of a three-ring circus. One has ground his way to the edge of the sport’s elite. The other, according to just about every other player and some big names of the past including Goran Ivanisevic and Andy Roddick, has more natural tennis gifts flowing through his veins than anyone on Earth.

The 2025 Australian Open is abuzz with the latest doings of both.

Alex de Minaur, the world No. 8, and Nick Kyrgios, who is back after a two-year battle with knee and wrist injuries, are the headliners for their country at Melbourne Park. Kyrgios emceed the night session on John Cain Arena Monday, before De Minaur headlines Rod Laver Arena, the pantheon of Australian tennis Tuesday night.

They are both celebrities of the moment; they could not be less alike.

Kyrgios has returned to the center of the tennis world as only he can, toting his confidence like a broadsword and swinging it in the direction of anyone he encounters, whether they want to duel or not. He doesn’t even have a ranking after so long out through injury.

Yet although he is at the bottom of the pecking order among his countrymen when it comes to numbers, there is no doubting who fills stadiums. He’s spent much of the past months trolling Sinner, the world No. 1, about his doping case, plastering lurid allegations about conspiracy on social media and filling comments sections with needle emojis. That included posting them in the comments of a fellow Aussie, and son of Lleyton Hewitt, Cruz, who put a photo up of him and Sinner which likely represented the best moment of his tennis life.

Sinner is none too pleased about this, if indirectly. “I don’t think I have to answer this,” he bristled when Kyrgios’ jabs came up in a news conference Friday.

For Kyrgios, wildly talented but always ambivalent about life as a tennis professional — and always willing to turn matches into spectacles with rants at umpires, officials and those seated in his own player box, and taunts towards opponents — it was business as usual.

He has sought more nuance in other areas of his life. In early 2023, Kyrgios pleaded guilty to assaulting his then girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021, but was not convicted. He has been open about living through depression, and has said that his mental health contributed to his behavior.

“We watch sport because we want personalities,” Kyrgios said Friday. “Every time I step out on court, I don’t know if I’m going to be super-controversial in a good or bad way. Throughout my career, it hasn’t always been good, but it’s added a lot of excitement to the game. I think it’s important.

“There’s so many good players on the tour now. I think there’s not so many contrasting personalities.”

How big a star is Kyrgios around here? He lost his first-round singles match to Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain (like Andy Murray, a Scot) Monday night in straight sets. He was carrying an injury throughout, which made much of the action provisional — and for him, coming back from 18 months out, it may well have been a warm-up act.

He will want to pack stadiums for the doubles, which he will play with his close friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. The duo — known as the “Special Ks” — won the title here in 2022, a run that played to raucous, beered-up crowds that turned the doubles competition into a national happening.

In his post-match news conference after being beaten by Fearnley, Kyrgios made a stronger admission: “I don’t see myself playing singles here again.”

His contrast with de Minaur could not be more stark. Kyrgios is 6 feet 4 inches (193cm) tall, a master of trick shots and creativity with one of the best serves in the world. De Minaur is a good half-foot shorter, and given how slight he is, he presents smaller than that.

Always envied for his unmatched speed, de Minaur spent the first post-pandemic years lurking in the world top 20. He carried the hopes of his country into a fourth-round match against Novak Djokovic here in 2023. Djokovic said he used the moment to take some revenge on Australia for deporting him the previous year, over his refusal to get vaccinated against Covid-19. He annihilated its favorite tennis son, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.

Then, last May, de Minaur’s career arc veered upwards.

He is half-Spanish and spent much of his childhood there, but has never had much use for clay-court tennis events. He can run like a deer; he can switch directions like a scrambling puppy dog; he has a massive engine. He is ideally suited to the physical, intense game that the surface demands, and he has never relied on a big serve that a clay court might neutralize for his success.

He beat Daniil Medvedev — who hates clay — to make the 2024 French Open quarterfinals in a miasma of rain and cloud, screaming to his friends and coaches, “I love the clay. I love it here. I can’t get enough.”

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He got a slew of ‘I told you sos’ from those coaches. Then he made the quarterfinals of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, forced out of the former by a cruel stroke of bad luck when he got injured at the end of his fourth-round win. Balky hip and all, he battled his way into the year-end finals, entering the elite company of the top eight.

He was already a massive star in Australia. Beyond his homeland, he was best known as a star boyfriend, the guy who caught the next flight out of Acapulco, Mexico after winning the ATP event there last March to see his partner, English top-30 WTA player Katie Boulter, play her own final the next night in San Diego, California. The effort set the bar for all boyfriends, sports and otherwise, and crossed over from sports coverage into the television morning shows. He proposed to Boulter during the off-season. She said yes.

At the French Open last May, on a walk through the corridors underneath Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, he explained that he wanted to evolve from a grinder into someone with the extra oomph to hit the ball through the court occasionally. Maybe even get some easy points on serve. He was too easy to push around.

“I would get exposed and kind of bullied a little bit,” he said.

Alex de Minaur has risen to the top eight in the world in the past 12 months (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)

When de Minaur arrived on the ATP Tour six years ago, he was a little more than 150 pounds (68kg) dripping wet. He’s now up to about 167lb after some gym work, and during the past year, his weight and strength hit a tipping point. Finally, he could push the best players in the world back onto their heels with a combination of newfound power and more revs on his groundstrokes.

“It’s always been about getting stronger, putting a little bit more weight on me,” he said. “My weight of ball is also a little bit bigger and ultimately that’s what I needed to compete against the top players in the world.”

He couldn’t win a match at those end-of-year finals. Still, he believed he had arrived.

“I’ve crossed a big barrier in my career, and now it’s about making use of my position,” de Minaur said.

Kyrgios doesn’t disagree. In his news conference Friday, he recalled the first time he hit with de Minaur, when the latter was a teenager tagging along to a Davis Cup tie as a training partner. Kyrgios decided to play some balls with him late one day. He brought a beer to the court, thinking it wouldn’t be too serious.

“I was like, ‘I’ll go out there and teach this little kid a lesson’. (But) It was a really close set. I was in my prime. He was only 17,” he said. “To see how well he’s taken it upon himself to be our No. 1 player for the last three, four years — he’s grown.

“ I was there. I didn’t always deal with it the best.”

No, he did not. Can he do it now? Can he again be the player that reached a Wimbledon final?

Kyrgios will never approach a match with much humility. He has said his sport requires a certain amount of delusion.

“If I’m playing my style of tennis, my unpredictability, I have a chance against anyone. That’s the mindset you need to have,” he said Friday. “If I walked out on the court for the first time against Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, and was realistic, I probably wouldn’t have won. A kid from Canberra going out there, and beating them… You can’t be realistic. You have to think, ‘I’m the best tennis player in the world.’ Is that realistic? Probably not. But I think that when I’m out there.”

Here lies perhaps the lone similarity between the two, even if de Minaur expresses the sentiment somewhat differently. He has said that with passing each Australian Open, he’s arrived as a better version of himself. He’s learned plenty. Winning has bred confidence.

“If it was strictly based on rankings, it would be quite a boring sport, but anything can happen at this stage,” he said. “We’ve seen opportunities arise, lots of doors opening up.

“There’s always a chance. Every time you step out for a tournament, you always got to think that there’s a chance.”

(Top photos: Getty Images; design: Will Tullos)

HOUSTON — Justin Herbert sat in a chair at his locker, motionless, hands on his knees, a blank stare on his face. It did not look like it, but he was listening.

Defensive lineman Morgan Fox was sitting on the floor to Herbert’s right. Fox was talking in a hushed tone to the Los Angeles Chargers quarterback.

“I just told him I’m proud of him,” Fox said. “No one else I’d rather go to war with. That he’s probably the best quarterback I’ve ever played with. He’s great. He’s incredibly talented. Just told him to keep his head up.”

After about a minute, Fox popped up, gave Herbert a hug and walked to his locker on the other side of the room.

Then Herbert was alone. Left with his own thoughts. Left with the irrepressible stinging of another early playoff exit.

The Chargers lost to the Houston Texans 32-12 on Saturday at NRG Stadium. A dramatic turnaround engineered by coach Jim Harbaugh ended with a whimper in the wild-card round. Herbert threw four interceptions. He had never turned the ball over more than twice in any game in his professional career.

“I let the team down,” Herbert said.

Herbert always takes the blame after losses. Most times, he is just being a good teammate. This time, his assessment is accurate.

He played the worst game of his career in the biggest game of his career.

“No one feels worse than I do,” Herbert said.

What awaits is an unavoidable avalanche of questions and criticism. It is the nature of the position he plays. It is the nature of the immense contract he signed.

He will hear the noise for at least another 12 months, until his next potential chance at a playoff win.

Herbert is outrageously talented. No quarterback in NFL history has thrown for more yards through five seasons. He does things on a football field that few humans, if any, have ever been able to do. But athletes are ultimately judged on how they perform when the lights are brightest, when a championship hangs in the balance. Herbert wilted on the grand stage, and he is now 0-2 in the playoffs.

Herbert’s last postseason appearance came in 2022. He helped build a 27-0 lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round. The Chargers collapsed. Herbert missed a wide-open Keenan Allen in the end zone late in the first half of that game. But Herbert played well enough for the Chargers to win. They could not run the ball in the second half. They committed backbreaking penalty after backbreaking penalty as part of a defensive unraveling.

Saturday was different. No amount of nuance or context can explain this one away. Herbert looked tight. He made uncharacteristically bad decisions. He made uncharacteristically inaccurate throws.

Herbert had thrown three interceptions on 504 attempts in the regular season. His four interceptions against the Texans came on 32 attempts. He completed just 14 passes. His 43.8 completion percentage was the worst of his career. He averaged minus-0.59 expected points added per dropback, according to TruMedia, the lowest mark of his career in any game he started and finished.

Harbaugh said Herbert played “like he always does.”

“Complete beast,” Harbaugh added.

But that is just not true.

Early in the second quarter, the Chargers led 6-0. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud floated a throw down the left sideline to no one in particular. Cornerback Deane Leonard was waiting and came down with the interception, tapping both toes inbounds along the sideline.

The Chargers took over at the Texans’ 40-yard line. On the first play of the possession, the Chargers rolled Herbert out to the right on a designed bootleg. There was pressure in Herbert’s face, as there was all game long. He threw off balance to receiver Quentin Johnston on a corner route, all the way across the field. It was an unnecessarily risky throw. It was underthrown. Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter picked it off. The Chargers needed fewer than five yards to get into Cameron Dicker’s field goal range. This throw took points off the board.

“Got to be better about that, throw the ball away, throw it further,” Herbert said. “Got to do a better job of not putting it in harm’s way.”

The @HoustonTexans take it right back! Kamari Lassiter with the pick.

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— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025

The Chargers were on the right hash for this snap. Harbaugh said after the game that this play should have been called only if the Chargers were on the left hash, shortening the throw.

“I take accountability for that one,” Harbaugh said, even though it is offensive coordinator Greg Roman calling the plays.

Late in the third quarter, the Chargers took over at their 28-yard line, trailing 13-6. Herbert took the shotgun snap. He looked left at receiver Ladd McConkey, who ran a comeback route out of the slot. Herbert double-pumped. He did not fully reset his feet. And Herbert’s throw sailed high and through McConkey’s hands. Texans safety Eric Murray picked it off and returned it for a touchdown.

“That’s on me to make a better throw,” Herbert said.

Took it to the crib! @HoustonTexans extend their lead.

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— NFL (@NFL) January 12, 2025

Herbert was intercepted again on the next drive, though this was not his fault. Will Dissly dropped a ball that was in his hands. It squirted through, and Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted it.

Herbert threw a fourth interception late in garbage time. Receiver DJ Chark was open on a go route. Herbert did not put enough on the pass. Stingley, an All-Pro, came down with his second pick of the game.

“It’s on me as a quarterback to be able to deliver the ball,” Herbert said.

The Chargers offense was given opportunity after opportunity through the first three quarters. The unit squandered every one.

Most of these were on Herbert, but not all of them. The Chargers were overmatched on the line of scrimmage. The Texans defensive line, including edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, dominated the game. Right tackle Joe Alt played one of his worst games of the season. Right guard Jamaree Salyer was bullied on multiple pass-blocking snaps. Herbert was running for his life or taking shots on many of his dropbacks.

“We can’t let Justin get hit that many times,” left guard Zion Johnson said.

But Herbert has weathered this kind of pressure before. He did it as recently as Week 16 against the Denver Broncos, when he was pressured on 54.1 percent of his dropbacks.

The Chargers were desperate for playmaking from their best playmaker. And Herbert fell disastrously short. He did not have a rushing attempt. The game was begging for a scramble to keep the Houston pass rush off balance.

“He’s got to be able to finish a throwing motion,” Harbaugh said. “We didn’t put him in the position to do that enough.”

Herbert needs more weapons. McConkey caught nine passes for 197 yards and a touchdown. No other Chargers player caught more than two passes. That must be a focus for the organization this offseason. It has to add receivers and a tight end.

Dissly had a commendable season, but he had two crucial drops. The interception was his second drop. The first came on a second-and-19 in the first quarter. Safety Alohi Gilman had just forced a fumble on the Texans’ opening offensive play, setting the Chargers up in opposing territory.

Herbert escaped pressure and found Dissly near the left sideline. Dissly would have been close to first-down yardage. A catch would have at least made the ensuing third down more manageable. The Chargers settled for a field goal.

“We got to score,” said J.K. Dobbins, who had nine carries for 26 yards, including only one carry in the second half.

There were other missed opportunities, in all three phases. The Texans trailed 6-0 late in the first half and faced a third-and-16, backed up inside their own 20. Stroud dropped the shotgun snap. The ball was loose. But Stroud was able to pick the ball up, escape to his right and find receiver Xavier Hutchinson for a 34-yard gain. That sparked a 99-yard touchdown drive, capped off by a Nico Collins touchdown reception. Collins had seven catches for 122 yards. Cornerback Kristian Fulton struggled to match up with the big-bodied receiver.

Safety Derwin James Jr. said the coverage was “a little off” on Stroud’s scoop-and-sling because of the fumbled snap.

“It kind of turned the game,” James said.

“It went his way,” Gilman said.

“JUST LIKE THEY DREW IT UP!”

C.J. Stroud makes things happen after the bad snap 😱

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— NFL (@NFL) January 11, 2025

Early in the second half, the Chargers faced a fourth-and-2 from the Texans’ 34-yard line. They had gotten the ball back on another turnover, this one a forced fumble and recovery from safety Tony Jefferson. Harbaugh went for it. Herbert took an under-center snap and faked a handoff to running back Hassan Haskins. Johnston was running a whip route to the right side, feinting to the inside before cutting to the flat. Herbert threw to Johnston, who was jammed at the line by Stingley. The pass fell incomplete. Johnston did not run his route to the first-down marker.

Harbaugh said the design of the play called for Johnston “to be deeper.”

“Sometimes the release, the coverage affects that,” Harbaugh added. “I would have liked to have called a different play or kicked the field goal there.”

It was a game littered with missed opportunities. The Chargers had a punt blocked and an extra point blocked on special teams. The extra point was returned for a Texans two-point conversion, turning a McConkey 86-yard touchdown into just a four-point swing.

The end result was Herbert missing the biggest opportunity of his career so far.

“He’s the best quarterback I’ve ever played with,” Alt said.

“Our heart beats through 10,” center Bradley Bozeman said. “He’s the leader of this team. He’s a damn good football player.”

Herbert is now following the early career trajectory of Peyton Manning, the player he passed for most passing yards through his first five seasons.

Manning made the playoffs three times in his first five seasons. He went 0-3. In his fifth season, his Indianapolis Colts lost 41-0 to the New York Jets in the wild-card round. Manning completed 14 of 31 passes for 137 yards and two interceptions.

The next season, Manning won the MVP. The Colts won two playoff games and made it to the AFC Championship Game.

There is precedent for an ubertalented quarterback struggling early in his career before getting over the hump.

But just like Manning, Herbert will face questions and criticism.

Until he shows up.

“I put the team in jeopardy,” Herbert said. “That’s on me to get better and keep pushing forward.”

(Photo: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)