Nick Kyrgios' stunning 2014 Wimbledon triumph against Rafael Nadal was a breakthrough moment for the Australian, and he does not regret using an underarm serve to help him against the Spaniard.
Kyrgios is set to return to tennis at the 2025 Australian Open after an extended period with an injury. More than ten years have passed since he first made significant headlines in the tennis world by reaching the 2014 Wimbledon quarterfinal.
That included an incredible win against Nadal in the fourth round. Nadal had struggled in the previous couple of years at Wimbledon, but he did not play a bad match against Kyrgios.
The then-19-year-old simply played stunningly to beat him. After some outrageous shot-making and outstanding rallies, Kyrgios triumphed 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3 on Centre Court.
That victory raised expectations for Kyrgios. Many thought his unique talent meant he would rise to the very top of men's tennis and regularly challenge for the sport's biggest prizes.
However, those expectations were not realized. Kyrgios' only Grand Slam final so far was a four-set loss at Wimbledon to Novak Djokovic in 2022. He has also never won a Masters 1000 title.
Yet Kyrgios thinks it is insane for anyone to argue he is an underachiever. He points to the issues he dealt with throughout his career off the court and argues that the work he does to help young people should be interpreted as a form of overachievement.
The 29-year-old has routinely attracted attention over the years for his unique actions on the court. One example is his occasional use of the underarm serve, something very few players on the ATP or WTA Tour do.
Most fans were introduced to Kyrgios' willingness to hit an underarm serve during his 2014 Wimbledon match against Nadal. The move caused controversy because some deemed it unsportsmanlike and unfair to the Spaniard.
But Kyrgios does not agree with those criticisms. Speaking on the Louis Theroux Podcast, he remembers being called disrespectful after beating Nadal but argues it is a legitimate tactic against a great returner standing far back in the court.
"I did it (underarm serve for the first time) against Nadal. He is known for returning the ball like really far back in the court, so it's hard to get a free point."
"So I needed to do something to get this guy out of this rhythm, and I did it and the whole tennis world called me really disrespectful, but, I won the match. So, I found a way. They (critics) were like, 'How could he do that?' The tennis Gods are shaking in their boots."
The debate about the merits and legitimacy of the underarm serve is a long-term one in tennis. It is understandable for a server to feel they should be allowed to react to a returner standing a long way behind the baseline.
An incident that brought Kyrgios even greater condemnation was an outrageous sledge he directed at Stan Wawrinka at the 2015 Canadian Open, but the Australian also believes he did nothing wrong in that case, calling it a "good old-fashioned sledge."
0 Comments