LOS ANGELES – January 9, 2024 – Hana Kuma, the Emmy Award-nominated, story-driven, and multicultural creative house co-founded by Naomi Osaka and longtime agent Stuart Duguid that disrupts the default with joyful craftsmanship, today announced the launch of a new video podcast series, “Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios.” The podcast is hosted by Australian tennis sensation and 2022 Wimbledon finalist, Nick Kyrgios. Renowned for his larger-than-life personality and the exhilarating unpredictability that characterizes his gameplay, the preternatural talent is expanding his presence and bringing his unique perspective off the court with the series premiering Wednesday, January 24. The video podcast series will be available domestically on Tennis Channel platforms and in Europe on discovery+* and Eurosport, in addition to Hana Kuma’s YouTube channel and on all podcast platforms.
“Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios” is a video podcast series that explores the personal journeys of individuals who are making waves by doing things on their own terms. The series takes inspiration from Kyrgios’ own career, marked by his unorthodox style and willingness to defy the norm, and extends that narrative to a broader spectrum of guests.
“From day one, we believed that Nick would be a great host,” said Duguid. “He brings a unique perspective while interviewing trailblazers from all industries that, like him, have forged their own path and consistently challenged the status quo. I love the fact that Nick’s ambitious enough to kick this project off while he’s still in the middle of his on-court career. He is as confident as a seasoned veteran talk show host, and he just keeps getting better and better.”
“Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios” will drop a new episode every other Wednesday beginning with internationally renowned multi-Michelin starred chef Gordon Ramsay. Additional guests this season include Emmy Award-winning journalist Jemele Hill, global bestselling author and award-winning podcast host of “On Purpose” Jay Shetty, current men’s top 25 tennis player Frances Tiafoe, four-time Grand Slam champion and one of the most influential tennis players of all time Naomi Osaka, Emmy Award-nominated actor-comedian Rainn Wilson, serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, and boxing legend Mike Tyson, among others.
“I can’t wait for the release of my new series,” said host Kyrgios. “It’s been tough for me to sit out the last year or so dealing with an injury, but I’ve had a lot of fun commentating and developing my own talk show. Hana Kuma has been a great partner and really brought my vision to life. We’ve got an all-star lineup of guests for Season 1, and I can’t wait for everyone to check it out.”
Ahead of the eagerly awaited debut of the video podcast series, Hana Kuma has joined forces with Tennis Australia to cast a spotlight on Kyrgios during the Australian Open in Melbourne – the host’s home Grand Slam tournament and a premier global tennis championship. Kyrgios is set to record two episodes live during the tennis event – the first from center court at Rod Laver Arena (RLA) on January 11 with Novak Djokovic, the world’s No. 1 ranked singles tennis player, to discuss how creating Good Trouble on and off the court helped him get to where he is today. Aligning with sports’ greatest tentpole moments, the host is set to interview another soon-to-be-announced star from the Australian Open, further establishing his place in sports and culture. Both episodes will be released after the Grand Slam tournament. Additionally, Kyrgios will capture content for Tennis Australia and Hana Kuma, all designed to bring fans closer to the action.
“Developing new audiences, promoting new platforms and finding new voices in tennis is crucial to the ongoing success of the sport and quite frankly, Nick does all of that naturally,” Tennis Australia’s Chief Content Officer Darren Pearce said. “While we love, and live, our reputation as the happy slam, we have a focus on innovation and are prepared to push boundaries where we can in what is still a pretty traditional sport. Nick brings the edge – whether it’s on or off the court. He excites new audiences and creates more interest in the game, which benefits us all. We’re excited to support Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios, and to partner with Hana Kuma and Nick to present two episodes from the Australian Open, his home Grand Slam. We can’t wait to see what Nick does next.”
Founded in 2022, Hana Kuma recently spun off from LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Co, which helped incubate the media company. The creative house was nominated for Outstanding Short Documentary at the 44th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards for their debut short film, MINK!, which celebrates the life of Patsy Mink – the first woman of color elected to the US Congress and author of Title IX. Additionally, Hana Kuma produced the short film Footsteps, currently distributed on Bloomberg Originals, which celebrates the legacy of hope that the historic 2023 Haitian Women’s World Cup team has created for a generation of young female soccer players and a nation.
Kyrgios is signed to EVOLVE, the first female-athlete-led talent agency founded by Osaka and Duguid.
