An open letter to Nick Kyrgios: Seize the moment, silence the doubters

Kevin Palmer
Nick Kyrgios smiling

After his thrilling win at the Citi Open in Washington on Sunday, Tennis365’s Kevin Palmer has written this heartfelt letter to Nick Kyrgios.

Dear Nick,

That’s how you do it.

That’s how you become a champion, that’s how you silence the doubters who question your every move and how you turn the snipers into fan club members.

It was not just the fact that you held up that ridiculously heavy trophy after a magnificent win against Daniil Medvedev in the Citi Open final in Washington that confirmed you have found the winning formula, as this could have been a breakthrough week in so many ways.
Nick Kyrgios Citi Open

We all love your honesty and those of us who have had the good fortune to interview you will confirm that the brash, wild child we so often see on the court is not the real Nick.

The real Nick is the charismatic guy we saw in Washington over the last week and that is the player who can become a champion time and again.

There have been times when we feel let down by you, other moments when we share your frustration and days when we wonder whether you will ever overcome your demons, but now we hope you can see a light at the end of your tunnel.

We all love your honesty, on and off the court, even if we don’t always understand what is happening when you give up in a set or even throw the odd match, but this was a week that should give you a blueprint for what comes next.

You said all the right things in your post-match interview, thanked so many people who care about you and want you to succeed and then admitted that you had lost faith in your own abilities over the last year, but Washington showed what was possible.

As you confessed in your interview after the defeat against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon last month, you will never be the ultimate professional or the best trainer, but the talent you have been blessed with ensures this sport can offer you so much more than you have taken from it so far.

Forget the money, ignore the ranking points, blank out the snipes from the media and the ex-professionals who make a quick buck by chastening you and focus on what matters… maximising your incredible talents and becoming the champion you can be is all that matters now.

No top ten player will want to draw you at the US Open later this month and that says all you need to know about the fear factor you bring onto a tennis court, with that incredible serve and your enchanting version of entertainment that is at the heart of the Kyrgios show.

You are right to say this sport has space for a showman like you and as you say from the incredible affection flowing in your direction from the fans in Washington over the last week, tennis lovers all want you to succeed.

Tennis needs Nick Kyrgios and at a moment when the giants at the top of the game are edging towards the end of their careers, you need to appreciate the opportunity that is opening up before you.

Seize the moment, silence the doubters, become the champion you can be.

Yours hopefully,
A tennis fan

Follow Kevin Palmer on Twitter @RealKevinPalmer

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Nick Kyrgios

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