Nick Kyrgios: ‘I feel like I’m really professional right now’

US Open
Nick Kyrgios antics

Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios believes that his approach to tennis is ‘really professional right now’ referring to his preparation and the work he is putting in on court.

It’s hard to argue that Kyrgios isn’t taking the game a whole lot more seriously in 2022 and the capitulations and meltdowns that once plagued him have largely been banished.

After a first round match against good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis passed without incident, Kyrgios dialled up his antics in his victory over Benjamin Bonzi.

Despite spitting in the direction of his box and earning a warning for unsportsmanlike conduct, Kyrgios downed Bonzi.

Kokkinakis said that Kyrgios thrives on chaos ahead of their match and that seemed to be the case against Bonzi.

In the past these outbursts might be followed by Kyrgios quickly ‘tanking’ but of late he appears to lift his game after letting out his frustration.

Kyrgios feels that his game has benefitted from sustained professionalism on his part in his preparation.

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Faced with the suggestion that his behaviour was unprofessional, Kyrgios chose to see the positives instead.

“This year’s been amazing in so many different ways. For my tennis, I kind of wanted to almost reinvent myself, get back to the top of the game where I know I belong,” he said.

“The Wimbledon final was a turning point I think for me mentally. If I won that match, I don’t know where my motivation would have been at. Losing it and being so close, it was really tough for me to kind of swallow that.

“Winning Washington, winning so many matches, I just feel like I thought the pressure would be off me after winning Wimbledon. He’s a Wimbledon finalist, he’s nearly-over-the-hump-type thing.

“For me, personally, I didn’t think I’d be putting this amount of pressure on myself. Every day I come in, I watch what I eat, I try and get sleep. Like every practice session I try and have good intent.

“I almost don’t know who I am anymore, to be honest, because that’s not me.

“Trying to balance so many different things out.

“It’s hard as well.

“The media, the fans are crazy everywhere I go.

“I’m trying to balance my personal life as well as my tennis. It’s just a lot.

“I feel like I’m really professional right now.

“I never thought that the Wimbledon final would make me that way.

“I thought it would be the other way, the reverse, almost a bit lax and a bit chilled with it.”

American J.J. Wolf awaits Kyrgios in the third round of the US Open.

Nick Kyrgios

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