Still coping with the after effects of his early exit at the Australian Open, Nick Kyrgios is determined to get back on track at the upcoming Davis Cup.
The world No.13 crashed out in the second round to Andreas Seppi in a five-set epic at Melbourne Park. Failing to convert a match point, the loss was his worst performance at his home grand slam since 2014. Two weeks has passed since his defeat, but Kyrgios’ Melbourne woes continues to haunt him as he moves on to his next tournament.
“It is what it is. I’m going to move on and this week is about Davis Cup. The (Australian) Open was, like, two weeks ago. I’m not thinking of that anymore,” Kyrgios told Australian media.
“I was obviously struggling after (it). Mentally, it was tough. (Lleyton Hewitt) has been helping me through it. This week’s crucial for me — bounce back, get back out there and try and enjoy it again.”
Returning to Australia after a brief trip to Miami, where Kyrgios conducted training and visited girlfriend Alja Tomljanovic, he believes the Davis Cup clash against the Czech Republic will be good for his ‘wellbeing’. Australia is bidding to win their first title in the competition since 2003. Last year they crashed out in the first round to America before winning their play-off tie against Slovakia.
“I think playing Davis Cup is going to improve my general wellbeing,” he explained.
“I think this week it’s good chemistry, it’s obviously a good environment and it makes me happy being with these guys and getting out on the practice court and training. Usually when I’m by myself I struggle to find that motivation.”
Relying upon his team’s spirit for an uplift in his confidence and performance, the controversial player is also closing in on selecting a coach. Kyrgios has managed to reach a career high of 13th in 2016 without having a mentor. His last fixed coach was Todd Larkham, whom he separated from shortly before the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. Since then, the 21-year-old has relied on other members of his team as well as the occasional guidance from Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt.
“I’ve got to improve a lot of things in my game, I’ve got to work harder. I take the easy way out a lot of times, so I’ve got to get more disciplined, hopefully get a coach soon.” Kyrgios said.
“I think people tend to forget I’ve beaten nearly every best player in the world, so that gets overlooked.”
Kyrgios revealed that he currently has ‘a couple’ names of potential candidates for his coach, but refrained from identifying them. Disputing allegations that he can at times be a ‘bad listener’ on the tour, he explained the ongoing search for a coach is all about ‘finding the right person.’
“It’s just finding someone who I know has my best interests at heart,” he said.
“It’s tough to bring someone on the team that’s not willing to care about me as a person first and tennis second. I’ve got to find the right person.”
Kyrgios will be the highest ranked player participating in this weekend’s Davis Cup clash at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne.
