"He's a legit contender" - Kokkinakis backs best friend Kyrgios at Wimbledon

Sunday, 26 June 2022 at 03:30

Updated at Friday, 13 December 2024 at 21:02

byZachary Wimer

Thanasi Kokkinakis firmly believes Nick Kyrgios can win the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, and he knows that it's a very important goal for the fellow Australian.

Kyrgios has been in very good form on grass this year, choosing to play many matches on the surface, and for the most part, he's played some inspired tennis.

Had he taken a couple of matches more seriously, he might have gone away with a trophy, but in the end, it was not meant to be. He had a minor scare in Mallorca as well with some abdominal pain (he retired due to that last year at Wimbledon), but he did not seem concerned about it.

His good friend Kokkinakis doesn't seem to be concerned about the possible physical issue either, as he named Kyrgios as one of the favorites to have a good run.

"He’s a legit contender. He looks great. He looks like he’s locked in. I had a look at his draw and I really like it for him. Obviously, Slams are tough, but with his game and how comfortable he is on grass and how many matches he’s played, I think he can definitely make a big run here. I’m pretty confident in that."

— Kokkinakis on Kyrgios at Wimbledon<br>

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Kokkinakis further outlined the need to keep the matches as quick as possible, not allowing them to go to a fourth or fifth set, which could be the key for Kyrgios.

"There are a lot of good players out there, especially it being over five sets. There’s a lot of things that can happen over five sets. It’s tough to put people away in straight sets and the hardest thing is backing up matches after matches."

— Kokkinakis on keys for Wimbledon<br>