Nick Kyrgios Confident Ahead Of Wimbledon

by Tom Gainey | June 25th, 2016, 6:34 pm
  • 11 Comments

Just 21, Nick Kyrgios seems like a veteran at Wimbledon. The brash Australian stunned Rafael Nadal in his Wimbledon debut two years ago and last year beat Milos Raonic to make the fourth round (he lost to Richard Gasquet). Now, he comes in as a Top 15 seed and is ready to take it even further. But he’ll open against the tricky veteran Radek Stepanek.

“It is obviously pretty exciting for me to be the 15th seed, but to play Stepanek is pretty tough,” Kyrgios said. “I’m really good mates with him as well. He was offering to help me a little bit. He’s getting towards the end of his career. He’s still playing some great tennis. I know it’s going to be very tough. I feel like grass is his best surface.

“If I get through that, Dustin Brown is in that section as well. For me, they’re just fun matches. I’m not looking too far ahead. I know Kyrgios-Murray would be pretty exciting, but I’ve got some tough matches ahead.”


Since his outbursts a year ago, Kyrgios has been pretty quiet this season, letting his racquet do the talking for the most part. And he hopes success continues on the grass.

“I feel that grass is a surface where most of the Australians can do fairly well. I feel I can do fairly well, as well,” he said. “In Australia, we are fortunate enough to have tournaments on grass for younger kids. Fundamentals, serving big, trying to play aggressive, I think that carries through.

And he added that if things break right, who knows who takes the title.

“There’s so many players at the moment that can make deep runs. Goffin, Thiem,” Kyrgios said. “Especially on grass as well, there’s so many guys that can serve big, play big. If the stars align, they can do well.

“I feel there are a lot of title contenders. Say Djokovic loses in the fourth round – I don’t know, he was down two sets to love against Anderson last year. If something like that happens, there’s plenty of people who can have their eye on the trophy this year.”

Kyrgios and Stepanek will meet on Monday. And if seedings hold, he’d face Andy Murray a week from Monday in the fourth round.


You Might Like:
Nick Kyrgios: I Don’t Think It’s An Exaggeration, I Can Be A Top 3 Player!
Nick Kyrgios: The Australian Open Is Just Another Tournament
Teen Sensation Nick Kyrgios His This Incredible Tweener Against Rafael Nadal Today [Video]
Nick Kyrgios: I Need To Get Away From Tennis, Delete My ATP App, Play Video Games And Chill!
Nick Kyrgios: I Want To Win A Grand Slam In The Next Year Or Two

Don't miss any tennis action, stay connected with Tennis-X

Get the FREE TX daily newsletter

11 Comments for Nick Kyrgios Confident Ahead Of Wimbledon

AndyMira Says:

Very matured statement from Nick for once..and let’s see whether he can face the music on court..or his behavior will do the talking like last year..


Anki Says:

No where good enough to beat Murray


Dave Says:

That was a hard one for me to pick in that section, because Nick does have the game to beat Murray. It wouldn’t surprise me if he did beat Murray.


calmdownplease Says:

‘It wouldn’t surprise me if he did beat Murray.’

It wouldn’t surprise me that it wouldn’t surprise you either.
Weren’t you the one banging ON about how Stan would hand Muzz his a*s in 4 at most at the FO?
You shall be proved inaccurate yet again….


jalep Says:

Going with Andy in that one.
Nick has crazy Stepanek first round, then perhaps Dustin Brown, and Feli Lopez before getting to Murray. I think Andy’s path to Kyrgios looks easier than Nick’s to Andy. But who knows. I’m giving respect to Stepanek and F.Lopez on grass.

Murray has Broady, Lu, and Paire.


jane Says:

steps is tough on grass, especially first round; but with radek, he can lay an egg on any given day too, as much as he can put up a big fight. so you never know. dustin brown beat rafa there: not an easy path for nick but doable. then, coric got karlovic first round; borna just hasn’t got any draw breaks this season. thiem has florian mayer, who just won halle while zverev has mathieu, whom i think will be an easier opponent. he has experience but i believe mathieu’s stronger surface was clay. it looks like all the young guys got fairly tough openers except maybe zverev.


jalep Says:

It may be underestimating Florian Mayer (he was impressive in Halle) but I think Dominic can win this time, hopefully in 3 or 4. Then Thiem has Vesely, Sousa…
I think most the experts I’ve read have Zverev over Thiem in the 4th round but I’m going the opposite way, taking Thiem. It’s risky – he could lose to Mayer in 3 but if he can take a set, I’m guessing he gets the win and will reach the 4th round.


jane Says:

i would probably take thiem over zverev too, should they meet: thiem is more experienced and grittier because of it. zverev has a great serve, but his shots can get a little wild still, at this point.


jalep Says:

Zverev has Mathieu, Youzhny, Berdych. I guess that can be seen as easier than Thiem’s draw or not. Zverev can blow opponents off the court and finish all his matches in 3, and come in more fresh than Thiem, who could grind more and struggle with Flo Mayer, Vesely, and Sousa. But Thiem showed he’s not bad on grass by winning Stuttgart, imo. And the kid is strong, energetic and hungry. He’s shown that this season. Thiem’s aim is to go deeper in GS’s now. He did on perhaps his best surface at FO. Then he adjusted well from clay to grass.

I talked myself into Thiem to the quarterfinal.

Happy for someone to come along talk me out of it!


MMT Says:

“I’m not looking too far ahead. I know Kyrgios-Murray would be pretty exciting, but I’ve got some tough matches ahead.”

Am I crazy, or does even mentioning a match 3 wins down the road seem a little bit like doing exactly what he just proclaimed not to be doing? Kyrigos’ serve is so good, he can be very dangerous against anyone on any given day, but it is his return of serve that has let him down the last couple of years.

https://tennis-column.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-key-to-wimbledon-newsflash-its-not.html


jane Says:

coric needs a more doable first round draw to really break through at slam level. i think he turns 20 end of this year, so he still has some time. karlovic is never an easy out, but perhaps esp on grass.

Top story: Sinner Swallows Up Zverev For Second Straight Australian Open, 3rd Slam