Nick Kyrgios: Australian Open doubles experience, paving the way to the Wimbledon final
Nick Kyrgios: Australian Open doubles experience, paving the way to the Wimbledon final. Nick Kyrgios in the Wimbledon Finals opposite Novak Djokovic
For many tennis lovers, Nick Kyrgios’s presence at Wimbledon is a big surprise. The list includes the name of Nick Kyrgios.
He said to the press, “I saw some of the professionals walking around and I’d be a junior here, and I never thought I’d be playing for the actual men’s title.” “I feel like it’s the pinnacle of tennis.”
Talented yet erratic Kyrgios made it to the finals after Rafael Nadal’s withdrawal. Nadal exited from the semi-final match due to an abdominal injury.
But on Sunday, he is facing Novak Djokovic in the final. It is not his first Grand Slam title for him.
It’s his first in singles. Kyrgios, this year bagged the Australian Open men’s doubles title. His match partner was Thanasi Kokkinakis. That experience worked for him this fortnight.
He said, “I think the doubles in Australia have helped me at a Grand Slam level.” “Even though it’s doubled and… you don’t need the physical capacity to win a doubles Grand Slam that you do the singles one.” “But I felt like just the kind of mundane, you win a match, you have a day off, you practice, you go again during two weeks. I realized in Melbourne it’s a long time.
“I didn’t realize that these days off, and the practice is so crucial. Like, it’s just like, I beat Paul Jubb 7-5 in the fifth set in my first round, and now I’m in the Wimbledon final. You just have to ride the waves, roll with the punches.”
It was a big contrast compared with the way he played in previous years. Earlier in his previous 29 appearances, he never moved beyond the quarterfinals in Grand Slam.
“If I made a third, fourth [round] or quarterfinals, I’d be on my phone a lot, I would be engaging online a lot, would be keen to go to dinner and explore or just do things.” “I feel like it’s just been as simple as, ‘Get some rest.’ Like, ‘Nick, stay in the house. That’s not always been the easiest thing for me during my career.” he said.
The withdrawal of Nadal from the semi-final gave a break to his rest rhythm of Nick.
Kyrgios said, “You kind of play a match at a Grand Slam, then you know deep down that you have one day to wind down and let yourself relax and then go again.” “I’m going to try and have a bit more of an extended practice because that can throw everyone off.”
The pressure to play well in the finals is something different. It was a miraculous opportunity for him to get there.
Kyrgios said, “I probably got an hour’s sleep just with everything, like the excitement,” “I was already feeling so nervous, and I don’t feel nervous usually.”
He was not that original Kyrgios in the last two weeks of Wimbledon, either.