Nick Kyrgios: ‘If I was up against anyone else but Novak Djokovic in Wimbledon final, I would have won’

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios Wimbledon final

Nick Kyrgios believes he would have been the one to hold aloft the Wimbledon trophy if he had played “anyone else but Novak Djokovic in the final”.

The controversial Australian enjoyed a memorable fortnight at the All England Club as he reached his maiden Grand Slam final, beating fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the semi-final while Rafael Nadal withdrew from their last-four clash due to injury.

The 27-year-old started the final brilliantly as he broke the Djokovic serve midway through the opening set before serving it out. However, the Serbian eventually stepped up a gear and won 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) to secure a 21st Grand Slam title.

Kyrgios described his performance as “impressive” and says he learned a lot during the defeat.

“Honestly, I feel as if my first Slam final was impressive, next time I would try to ride the emotional wave a little smoother but I realise how much was on the line,” he said on Instagram.

“I feel if I was up against anyone else but Djokovic in the final with the way I served that day, I would of [sic] won.”

One fan asked about his cockiness and he replied: “People tend to confuse my confident [sic] for arrogance because they have no idea what I’ve been through.”

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