"Federer makes you want to leave the court" - Kyrgios

Tuesday, 12 July 2022 at 13:15

Updated at Wednesday, 04 December 2024 at 17:59

bySam Frape

Nick Kyrgios lost in his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon this year but feels that a prime Novak Djokovic is not the hardest opponent on a tennis court.

When asked post-match about his Wimbledon final loss, Australian Nick Kyrgios was quick to point out that the SW19 final does not necessarily reflect his career results against the Serbian great.

The man from Down Under explained how the other times he has played 'Nole' he has, in fact, gotten the better of him. As suggested by himself, he speculated that this may have been due to the fact those other encounters were best-of-three sets instead of five.

Reflecting further on who the toughest opponent on a tennis court would be, Kyrgios was keen to explain the differences between the Serb and another 'GOAT' contender, Roger Federer.

"Against players like Novak, Rafa or even Roger, you feel that if you win the first set, you still have to climb Mount Everest to be able to to win against them. The best of three sets is somewhat easier."

Speaking more specifically on times he has faced Djokovic, Kyrgios went on to compare those to how it is to play the Swiss Maestro.

"I had a chance to win the match. He doesn't make you feel as bad as Federer does at times. I think Federer, out of the other three guys, Federer can make you feel really bad, like he makes you want to leave the court."

The Australian was keen to try and put into words the difficulties there are with playing the eight-time Wimbledon champion.

"He can make things seem really quick and that the court's really small. Nadal and Djokovic, they allow you to play a little bit from the back and if you're not playing great, then you struggle. But Federer can really take it to you and get you off the court real quick."