Nick Kyrgios has spoken about his loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year, and how he would have retired from the sport had he won the grass Grand Slam.
Speaking on Impaulsive podcast this week, the former Australian Open quarter-finalist and Wimbledon finalist was candid about his ambitions of winning a Grand Slam. But for him, the win would mark the pinnacle and the end of a journey, rather than the start of a new one.
That was my chance, that was really my chance. If I’d honestly won that, I think I would have retired at least for a year or two. I would say I am probably the most unprofessional tennis player. I do not warm up or anything, no coach. It is all I have known since I was seven years old. Last year was awesome, making the final of Wimbledon and finally achieving things that will last forever.
I think I can win a Grand Slam. Wimbledon I was right there, I was two sets away. I won the first set and I thought ‘this is it’, and then I just didn’t stay in the moment and he stayed super composed. I feel like I could do that. It’s weird, but I feel like it’s not even for me though, I feel like it’s for everyone else, all the haters as well. I could finally just rest. I could just go home and sleep in my bed and not deal with the s***.
The Australian also spoke of his admiration for NBA star Michael Jordan and fellow tennis colleague Roger Federer, but said he believes that Novak Djokovic - Kyrgios' conqueror in that Wimbledon final - is ahead of them.
Federer and Jordan are very similar but I think statistically Novak is better.