Costeen Hatzi has offered a rare glimpse behind the curtain at the Australian Open, revealing how life inside Melbourne Park looks very different away from the TV cameras following her split from Nick Kyrgios.
The fashion content creator, who spent several years travelling alongside Kyrgios, says the grand slam operates like a private ecosystem for players and inner circles, with cafés, gyms and restaurants hidden from public view.
‘It’s a completely different world to what people see on TV,’ Hatzi told News Corp.
‘You’ll find them eating lunch together, socialising, laughing with each other, and then the next day they have to play with each other. It’s quite different to any other sport.’
Hatzi and Kyrgios began dating in 2021 after meeting when he picked up a mirror she was selling online, later going public with their relationship in 2022.
The pair quietly split last year, with Hatzi confirming in May, ‘We haven’t spoken, relationships come to an end. I believe it’s for the best.’
Fashion influencer Costeen Hatzi will attend the Australian Open for the first time since her high profile split from Aussie tennis player Nick Kyrgios
Hatzi has revealed what life is really like behind the scenes for tennis players and guests at the Aussie Open
Hatzi got a good look at life on the tour during her relationship with Kyrgios which ended in May last year
This year marks her first Australian Open attending without Kyrgios, but she says the experience feels liberating rather than awkward.
‘I’m still going there with an excited and positive mindset,’ she said.
‘Despite what has happened between Nick and I, watching it is like a full-circle moment.
‘I know what it’s like to be behind the scenes, so this time I can really go and enjoy it for myself.’
And she confirmed that she will be attending this year’s Open as a single woman.
‘I am just taking time for myself. I’m just enjoying being by myself and just doing what I want to do,’ Hatzi said.
‘For so long I was caught up in someone else’s world, which I’m super-grateful for.
‘But having all this time for myself, I am really just working on myself and I think dating, maybe in the future.
Hatzi will be attending this year’s Open as a fashion ambassador, rather than being part of the tennis aspect
Kyrgios has withdrawn from the singles at the Australian Open, but will compete in the doubles
‘I’d like to keep it private from now on if I do have a boyfriend one day or a partner, but it’s not something that I’m focusing on right now.’
Hatzi will attend the tournament working with Australian fashion and beauty brands, including Forever New and The Iconic, reflecting what she says is the Open’s evolution beyond pure sport.
‘The AO has become a real fashion moment. It’s the perfect mix between sports and Melbourne summer style,’ she said.
‘It can be kind of daunting being thrown into this world with expectations to always look good, but it honestly didn’t bother me that much.’
She also revealed how friendships form quickly inside the player-only areas, with rivals regularly mingling off-court.
Through that world, Hatzi built close ties with other players’ partners, including Paige Lorenze and Hannah Dal Sasso, whom she still sees when in Melbourne.
‘Because everyone’s working in the same environment and travelling to the same tournament, the friendships just kind of form organically,’ she said.
While Hatzi embraces a new chapter, Kyrgios has taken a more cautious approach on court.
Plagued by knee and wrist injuries since his Wimbledon final run in 2022, he has ruled himself out of singles at this year’s Australian Open, opting to focus on doubles instead.
‘I’m fit and back on court, but five-setters are a different beast and I’m not quite ready to go the distance yet,’ Kyrgios said recently.
‘This tournament means everything to me, but I’d rather give my spot to someone who’s ready to make their moment count.
‘It’s all building blocks, and I’ll be back next year and pumped to compete.’
