"I was forced out of a pub at 4 AM to play Nadal" - Kyrgios on his dark past
ATPTuesday, 05 July 2022 at 03:30
Updated at Saturday, 25 January 2025 at 14:16
In 2014, Nick Kyrgios reached his first Wimbledon quarter-final and defeated Rafael Nadal along the way, and now he has reflected on what happened before his match.
Kyrgios received a wild card to enter the main draw of the 2014 Wimbledon Championships and used it really well. Eight years later, he will play in the quarter-finals at the All England Club once again, and possibly, he might face Nadal on the Centre Court again.
The two can meet in the semi-finals of the tournament. This time, Kyrgios would certainly want to prepare for that match better, as after his fourth-round victory, the Australian revealed that he didn't spend the night before facing the Spaniard in 2014 as the athlete would be expected to.
"At this time in the event, I don’t think anyone is feeling 100%. Obviously Rafa, you see him dealing with something niggling all the time. I just don’t think there’s anyone feeling 100%. Mentally, I feel like I just deal with these things a lot better now."
"There was a time where I was having to be forced out of a pub at 4 a.m. to play Nadal in the second round. My agent had to come get me out of a pub at 4 a.m. before I played my match on Center Court Wimbledon. I’ve come a long way, that’s for sure."
This time, the situation is different for Kyrgios. He has good people around him in London, which helped him to get where he is right now. Also, thanks to that, he was able to reflect on those dark times.
"I’ve got an incredible support crew. My physio is one of my best friends. My best friend is my agent. I’ve got the best girlfriend in the world. I’ve just got so many people around me, they just support me."
"I feel like I can reflect on all those dark times when I pushed them all away. Now to sit here in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, feeling good, feeling composed, feeling mature, having that around me, I’m extremely blessed. I feel like I’m just comfortable in my own skin."
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