Nick Kyrgios revealed which Grand Slam has a setup that makes him feel weird and somewhat uncomfortable, and the answer will surprise some tennis fans.
Kyrgios has not competed at a Grand Slam since the 2022 US Open. He reached the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows but missed out on the semifinal after a narrow five-set loss to Karen Khachanov.
Severe wrist and ankle injuries meant Kyrgios only played one match in the last two years. That was a failed comeback attempt in June 2023 at the Stuttgart Open before returning to the sidelines.
Kyrgios underwent a wrist reconstruction, before which the surgeon warned him he only had about a 15% chance of playing professional tennis again, but the 29-year-old will return next season.
His first tournament since June 2023 will occur at the Brisbane International, starting December 20th. Kyrgios plans to use that tournament to build some momentum before the Australian Open.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up's main goal during his return is to win a Grand Slam. He wants to silence those who have doubted him over the years by securing a major title before retiring from the sport.
Kyrgios has shown his potential by beating some of the most significant names in tennis history. That included overcoming Rafael Nadal, who Kyrgios used to hate, in four sets at the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.
The Australian has also been generating headlines ahead of his comeback by repeatedly tearing into the current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner because of his doping scandal. He thinks all those who test positive for a banned substance should receive an automatic two-year ban.
Kyrgios recently made his firiest comments about Sinner. The two-time Citi Open champion promised to show him no respect if they played at the Australian Open and plans to turn the entire crowd against the Italian to create a hostile environment.
Although the Australian Open is Kyrgios' home Grand Slam, he has admitted he would prefer to win Wimbledon. That almost happened in 2022, but Djokovic defeated him in the 29-year-old's sole Grand Slam final.
Kyrgios shares a mindset similar to that of his retired compatriot Ashleigh Barty. The three-time Grand Slam champion won her home Grand Slam and Wimbledon, but the title in London was what she had always dreamed of winning, and she lost motivation after that moment.
Kyrgios's intense desire to win the Wimbledon title made it somewhat surprising that he described not liking the environment at SW19 during an appearance on the Nothing Major Podcast. By contrast, Kyrgios loves playing at the US Open.
"I'm sorry but like as an event, Wimbledon like as an event is not even that good in my opinion. I don't really like the setup. I don't like the cafe and stuff. US Open is my favourite... Wimbledon is insane."
"I just don't like... I don't know like I prefer the US Open. It's so simple: locker room, go upstairs, food. Wimbledon just not a fan of it... I just feel weird there."
Kyrgios differentiates between the history surrounding Wimbledon and not enjoying the surroundings at the grass-court Grand Slam.
0 Comments