Nick Kyrgios came from an ordinary family. Except his mother is a princess.

Nick Kyrgios was originally dubbed 'The King' of the court after his five-set win at the Australian Open back in 2021. But many won't know just how fitting the royal title is.

The 29-year-old tennis player, known for his antics on and off the court, has royal blood thanks to his mother, Norlaila Kyrgios.

Born in Gombak, a district in Selangor, Malaysia, her grandfather’s cousin was the Sultan of Pahang. This makes her, by birth, the Tengku of Pahang, which loosely translates to the princess of the Pahang state.

Norlaila moved to Australia in her 20s, choosing to give up her title and leave behind her royal roots.

Nick Kyrgios' parents, Giorgos Kyrgios and Norlaila Kyrgios, at the 2015 Davis Cup. Image: Getty. 

She became a computer engineer and married Greek house painter Giorgos Kyrgios. Nick was their third child.

Speaking to Malaysian media after her son's famous four-set victory over Tennis Great Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2014, Norlaila said she and Nick took pride in their Malaysian roots.

"Nick is very close to his Malaysian family, whom he has visited many times," she said. "He even played tennis at Cameron Highlands the last time we were in Malaysia.

"The entire Kyrgios family is very close to my family. I want Malaysians to take pride in Nick’s achievements as Malaysian blood runs through his veins."

Norlaila's region, Pahang, is a sultanate and Malaysia's third largest federal state.

The constitutional head is the Sultan, who is described as "the fountain head of justice and of all authority of government" in the state. The current Sultan belongs to the male line of the Bendahara dynasty who have been ruling since the 17th century.

The reigning monarch Abdullah was proclaimed as Sultan on 15 January 2019, succeeding his father, Ahmad Shah, who abdicated four days earlier.

Succession order to the throne of Pahang is generally determined by the first legitimate son of the ruler.

It's unlikely that Nick Kyrgios would have a strong claim, so he's spent his career trying to take down (tennis) royalty - like Nadal, Federer and Djokovic instead.

Nick Kyrgios with his manager John Morris and his mother Norlaila Kyrgios during a practice session ahead of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park. Image: Getty. 

After winning his match at the 2021 Murray River Open, Kyrgios opened up about his mother being ill. 

“It’s not about me,” Nick Kyrgios told reporters, referring to the controversy over tennis players needing to quarantine prior to competing in the Australian Open. “My mum is incredibly sick.

“There’s too much risk in all of this. I don’t understand what’s so hard for tennis players to understand.

“Like, you’re just a tennis player. Do you know what I mean? It’s not life and death like this is.”

While Norlaila is very private in her personal life, Kyrgios has since said that his mother doesn't come to the games because of having a pacemaker. 

Kyrgios said in 2023: "She has a pacemaker now – so I don’t think she can come to any of my matches, especially the Australian Open or Wimbledon, with the ups and downs, the craziness that happens.

"It’s just too risky. So she watches from home. My whole team comes to watch me live. She’ll stay back at the accommodation and watch on TV.

"I know she’s watching me all of the time."

In May 2023, Norlaila was held at gunpoint while a thief stole Nick Kyrgios' green Tesla from their driveway, per ABC News.

She opened the front door and was confronted by the barrel of a gun pointed at her. He demanded the keys, which she gave him, and he fled. 

Nick Kyrgios, according to ABC, used an app on his phone to control the speed of the car and helped police track it, the suspect was caught and charged. He was sentenced to four-and-a-half years jail in July 2024. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Norlaila said that she had struggled with "trauma and fear."

Halimah Kyrgios said the sentence would bring "a moment of peace of mind for my mum''.

Feature Image: Getty.