Nick Kyrgios says he would have quit tennis if he won Wimbledon
Nick Kyrgios has said that he might have retired if he had won the Wimbledon men’s singles final in 2022.
Appearing on Logan Paul’s podcast Impaulsive, Kyrgios opened up about his run to the final and his approach to the game.
Kyrgios admitted that he doesn’t adhere to conventional standards for a tennis professional and is really just out to enjoy himself.
He feels that losing focus cost him the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic, whom Kyrgios named as his choice for the tennis GOAT.
“That was my chance, that was really my chance,” he said.
“If I’d honestly won that, I think I would have retired at least for a year or two.
“I would say I am probably the most unprofessional tennis player. I do not warm up or anything, no coach. It is all I have known since I was seven years old. Last year was awesome, making the final of Wimbledon and finally achieving things that will last forever.
“I think I can win a Grand Slam. Wimbledon I was right there, I was two sets away. I won the first set and I thought ‘this is it’, and then I just didn’t stay in the moment and he stayed super composed.
“I feel like I could do that. It’s weird, but I feel like it’s not even for me though, I feel like it’s for everyone else, all the haters as well. I could finally just rest. I could just go home and sleep in my bed and not deal with the s***.”
Kyrgios, a huge basketball fan, compared Roger Federer to Michael Jordan in a GOAT talk comparison but feels that Djokovic’s numbers put everyone in the shade.
“Federer and Jordan are very similar but I think statistically Novak is better,” Kyrgios said.
Kyrgios doesn’t believe that player’s from bygone eras can be included in discussions alngside players of the current era.
He believes that the changes to the game would leave players of yesteryear totally unsuited to playing at the highest level.
“No way because I think Jordan could still play [in the NBA] in this era, whereas those guys would get absolutely snipped in this era,” he said when asked if names like John McEnroe and Pete Sampras could be included in the debate over the greatest players in tennis.
Kyrgios slammed the tennis establishment at various points during the interview, including expressing his bemusement at being fined for taking too long using the toilet.
He said: “The pee thing is just stupid, the tennis rules are just so dumb. I’m always in arguments with the umpires. I have been fined; I am the leading fine guy.”
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