Winning Wimbledon Would Have Been Bad For My Motivation, Says Nick kyrgios - UBITENNIS

Winning Wimbledon Would Have Been Bad For My Motivation, Says Nick kyrgios

The Australian also explains why he doesn't think Novak Djokovic is the hardest player he has ever played.

By Adam Addicott
5 Min Read

After achieving his best-ever result at a Grand Slam event, Nick Kyrgios admits he is in some ways relieved that he didn’t triumph at Wimbledon this year.

The world no.40 held a one-set lead against top seed Novak Djokovic before going on to lose in four. Kyrgios produced a strong service performance throughout the final but admits that his opponent always had the upper hand when it came to playing the clutch moments. During his on-court interview at SW19, he described the 21-time major winner as a ‘god.’

Kyrgios later admitted during his press conference that not winning the title was in some ways a blessing in disguise for him. Explaining that he would have found it tougher to be motivated to play lower-level events after winning a major. Unlike his peers, he only travels on the Tour for up to four months a year due to wanting to be home with his friends and family.

“I feel like if I had won today, I would have struggled with motivation,” he said. “I’ve been told my entire life that winning Wimbledon is the ultimate achievement.’
“It’s taken me 10 years, almost 10 years in my career to finally get to the point of playing for a Grand Slam and coming up short.
“I feel like if I had won that Grand Slam, I think I would have lacked a bit of motivation, to be honest. Coming back for other tournaments, like 250s and stuff, I would have really struggled.’

At Wimbledon, Kyrgios has scored wins over fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, Brandon Nakashima and Cristian Garin. He was set to play Rafael Nadal in the last four but the Spaniard was forced to retire due to injury.

“I think not playing the semifinals may have done me a bit of a disservice because I was just thinking about it (playing the final) all the time,” he said.
“I thought I handled myself well today. I came out there and I did what I had to do tactically to give myself a chance. I just came up short, and I’m happy with that.”

A bromance has blossomed between Kyrgios and Djokovic in recent months which was something that at one stage would seem impossible. The two were once engaged in a verbal tirade with them previously criticizing each other. Although their relationship took a turn in January when Kyrgios stood up for Djokovic amid the fallout over his visa to play in Australia.

Whilst the two are now on good terms, Kyrgios is still one who is not afraid to speak his mind. Saying that he believes Djokovic is not the hardest player he has ever faced on the Tour. He gives that honor to Roger Federer.

“He (Djokovic) doesn’t make you feel as bad as Federer does at times. I think Federer can make you feel really bad. He makes you want to leave the court. He can make things seem really quick. The court is really small.” Kyrgios explains
“Where Nadal and Djokovic, they allow you to play a little bit from the back. If you’re not playing great, you struggle. But Federer can really take it to you and get you off the court real quick.”

Kyrgios had beaten the Serbian twice before in straight sets during 2017.

The question now is what does the future have in store for one of the sport’s most unpredictable players?

“I feel like my fire’s been lit this whole year. I’ve met a lot of amazing people this year who have just given me extra motivation,” Kyrgios said.
“To find people that finally have my back, that I just love being around, and they just want to push me to be a better person and to be a better tennis player, they realize that I’m immensely talented and I have a lot of, I feel like, a lot more to do in this sport.”

This year’s Wimbledon was Kyrgios’ 30th appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

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