Wimbledon 2022: The fire is (finally) blazing in Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios missed out on the title at Wimbledon but showed great tennis in south-west London. Not for the first time this year. A commentary on the Australian enfant terrible.
by Nikolaus Fink
last edit:
Jul 11, 2022, 04:58 pm
The line between genius and madness is not as narrow for any tennis player in the world as it is for Nick Kyrgios . Sometimes the Australian enchants the spectators with world-class shots en masse, only to make completely incomprehensible decisions seconds later and look for the blame in his box.
Kyrgios also presented his broad portfolio to the world public in the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic: rants on the one hand, tweeners on the other. No question: Who is a fan of the world number 45. is, requires an enviable nerve costume.
Kyrgios remains focused
In contrast to numerous appearances in the past, Kyrgios did not throw himself off track at Wimbledon this time. Not in the first round against the furiously playing British Paul Jubb and not in the so emotional round of 16 against Stefanos Tsitsipas. In the final, it was ultimately Djokovic's extra class that tipped the scales in favor of the long-standing world number one.
"He's kind of a god. I think I played quite well," said Kyrgios at the awards ceremony. As a shortcoming, the 27-year-old identified his lack of callousness on the important points in the final press conference. For example, with four breakballs, when Djokovic served to equalize the set in round two or in the tie-break, in which Kyrgios made mistakes that were too easy.
However, Kyrgios also saw something positive about the missed title: "I have the feeling that if I had won this Grand Slam, I would have lacked the motivation. All my life I was persuaded that winning Wimbledon was the ultimate achievement." Staying focused would certainly have been difficult, the Australian continued.
Kyrgios has always been a player who loved playing against the best players in the biggest stadiums. The supposedly easier opponents were often fatal for the 27-year-old, and there were no mandatory victories for the highly talented man from Canberra. Also because the Australian did not rest off the field. But that apparently changed for Kyrgios when his team changed: "I met a lot of great people this year who gave me additional motivation."
Kyrgios gains consistency
"I feel like my fire burns all year round," Kyrgios continued, alluding to his strong performances this season. And indeed, the 27-year-old has added a new asset to his game this season - as the consistently good results show: consistency.
It can at least be doubted whether Kyrgios will be able to perform as well as in Wimbledon in the coming weeks and months. Because the emotional fluctuations of the 27-year-old in the past were simply too great. However, one thing is clear: a similarly motivated Nick Kyrgios as in the past two weeks is a great asset for tennis.
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