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Former Aussie star Mark Philippoussis has painted a grim picture of Nick Kyrgios' tennis future if he can't throw everything into rehabbing from knee trouble.

Mark Philippoussis has warned that Nick Kyrgios' career could be in jeopardy if he doesn't throw everything into rehab on his injured knee.

Twenty years since reaching the Wimbledon final, Philippoussis has painted a grim scenario for his fellow Australian who followed him as a finalist in 2022 but pulled out on tournament eve this year with a wrist injury following season-long knee trouble.

Philippoussis, who had six surgeries on his knee, knows how difficult it will be for Kyrgios, at 28, to rebound from his January surgery and was left alarmed after watching him play his only match since, a tame loss in Stuttgart a month ago.

"He's not even close to being fit, and I knew straight away he was in trouble," said Philippoussis at Wimbledon where he's competing in the legends' invitation events.

"If he comes back too early, which we have seen, and if he's not putting in the work physically on that knee to strengthen that joint, unfortunately I'm not sure how much we're going to see him.

"You have to give yourself every opportunity to come back and if you're a big guy and get a knee issue, you better get it right before you come back because it's just going to make it worse, you're going to be out further and your career could be done."

Asked if he feared for Kyrgios, who's famously never been one for hard off-court training, Philippoussis added: "He's got to fear for himself. I've become a knee expert after six knee surgeries and it's something you can't mess around with. You're talking about your movement.

"My worry for him years ago was 'is he putting in the work physically?' and if he was to get that first major injury, I'm not saying it could be career-ending but it could be very dangerous if you don't put in that rehab work.

"I don't care how good your hands are, if you're not getting to the ball, and you're one-and-a-half, two steps slower, against any top-100, 200 player, it's going to be tough out there."

Philippoussis, who's just left as a coaching assistant to Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas, also cited his own 24-7 efforts to get fit again after being plagued by his own knee problems in the early 2000s.

"Three (medics) said I'd never play tennis again, but I eat, sleep and breathe rehabilitation. I worked with a therapist, who came to my house, I worked with the Miami Heat team on rehab, did pilates, yoga, everything."

But asked if might be able to help Kyrgios, Philippoussis wasn't sure any help would be wanted anyway.

"Everyone can want to help someone as much as possible, but if that person is not willing to help themselves, then it's all pointless," he shrugged.

"We all know where Nick stands as far as he's very happy to be very free with the way he plays and not have a coach. And I doubt very much anything is going to change with the fitness side.

"If he's happy with that, then no problem. The most important thing is for him to be happy in his life, because sports stops at some stage, and it's about what's really important - and that's his life."