The name Kyrgios is synonymous with tennis, but it may not be that long before it's also associated with singing.
Halimah Kyrgios, the older sister of tennis player Nick Kyrgios, is set to hit the stage in the latest season of The Voice, which returns to the screens on Sunday.
The 31-year-old - who has spent recent years performing in musical theatre internationally - was enjoying some family time in Canberra when the opportunity to audition for the Channel Seven reality show came up.
Having wrapped up her time performing in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Starlight Express, in Germany, Kyrgios's career was effectively on hold due to the pandemic. So when a friend suggested they both try out for The Voice, she didn't have anything to lose.
What the singer didn't realise was the audition would be the most challenging of her career.
"It's a very different setting as to if you're just going to perform something we've rehearsed for hours, weeks, months, and you know what to expect when you go out there," Kyrigos said.
"Whereas for the blind auditions, you're sitting in the room with 200-plus people and you're just feeding off everyone's nervous energy. I was just going over in my head, the same things over and over again. And then you start doubting yourself.
"I was like 'Halimah you've sung your entire life, you've got this'. But it just really plays on your mind. It was just a very strange experience. But I felt it gave me a little taste of maybe what my brother goes through."
Fans of the show will know that contestants often have family or friends backstage watching their loved ones sings for the judges - who, this year, include Keith Urban, Rita Ora, Guy Sebastian and Jessica Mauboy.
But tennis fans shouldn't expect to catch a glimpse of Nick K during his sister's blind auditions. The Canberra tennis player was midway through his own competition during filming - the Australian Open.
Nick Kyrgios is, however, one of his sister's biggest fans.
"I remember from a young age that Hali was always singing," he said.
"I used to go upstairs to her room and sit with her while she practiced. She has always done what is best for her and her career and it shows, she made a lot of early sacrifices and was away from family to go to uni in Singapore and has worked overseas in many countries doing musical theatre.
"Hali is an amazing talent, whenever I get the chance I go to her shows, no matter how big or small they may be I go. It is always nice seeing her do her thing.
"I am really excited that she auditioned for The Voice and that I will get to see her on TV. I have always known how good she is so now I hope the rest of the world will see it also. Hopefully some one sees how good she is and she'll start performing in Australia."
So what does one sing when auditioning for The Voice?
It what may be a surprising choice considering the time Halimah Kyrgios has spent performing in musicals, the singer opted to audition with a song a little closer to her heart - Tina Arena's Chains.
"It was actually a song that I tried to sing when I was about eight or nine - a very bold choice at the time," she says.
"But it was nice to revisit it. It's one of my mum's favourite songs and a very popular song in Australia. So it'll be interesting to see what the Australian feedback is with my version."
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The Voice starts on August 8 at 7pm.
