Nick Kyrgios says his respect for Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal has grown after Wimbledon run
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Published 25/07/2022 at 12:42 GMT
Nick Kyrgios reached a first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon but succumbed to a familiar sight at SW19 as Novak Djokovic lifted his seventh trophy at the event. Kyrgios is now turning his attention to the warm-up tournaments before the US Open, and the Australian has opened up about his Wimbledon run and respect for ‘Big Three’ of Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
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Nick Kyrgios says his respect has grown for Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal after reflecting on his run to the Wimbledon final. .
The Australian reached his maiden Grand Slam final at SW19, and gave Djokovic an early scare before losing in four sets to the Serbian.
After a break in the Bahamas, Kyrgios is now switching his focus to the US Open warm-up events.
“It’s crazy. After I lost the final to Novak it didn’t hit me. It actually hit me a week after that I got to a Grand Slam final at Wimbledon and lost,” Kyrgios told the Citi Open Instagram account.
“It is sad in a way, but it has been great. I’ve got a little pad here in the Bahamas and spent a good week here, downtime and training, but it has been a hectic couple of weeks since the final.”
Kyrgios will play in Atlanta this week before competing at the Citi Open in Washington next week. The US Open starts on August 29.
His best showing at Flushing Meadows is reaching the third round on four occasions, most recently 2019, but after his first taste of a full fortnight at a Grand Slam, Kyrgios said he is taking confidence from his Wimbledon run – and also marvelling at the 63 Grand Slams won Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.
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Novak Djokovic of Serbia with the trophy after victory in the Mens Singles Final against Nick Kyrgios
Image credit: Getty Images
“You just have to be a mental animal to win a Grand Slam. Novak, Federer, and Nadal, I think I give them a bit more respect now,” Kyrgios added.
“Playing one of them in the final, I felt like he was fresh, felt like he wasn’t playing tennis for the last two weeks, never seen him rattled.
“I take so much confidence from it. The doubles earlier in the year with Thanasi [Kokkinakis] really helped me mentally, even though it was doubles.”
Kyrgios also reiterated a point he made immediately after losing to Djokovic – that he would have lost motivation had he won Wimbledon.
“I think about growing up, playing the sport since I was seven and being told that to win a Grand Slam is everything in the sport,” Kyrgios said.
“I think every tennis player that picks up a racquet one day wants to win Wimbledon. I look back at my career and I think most would say – and even I would say – that my window was closed on making a Grand Slam final.
“I think Wimbledon is the biggest title ever. I even had a chat with my team, that I thought if I won Wimbledon, I’d really struggle after that for motivation.
“I really don’t know what more I would have to prove as a tennis player. It’s exciting, I still look back and I still take so much confidence from it. I was one hurdle away from the trophy.”
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