ATP Indian Wells – Much too rare but still expected: Nick Kyrgios, this so precious 132nd in the world

Is Nick Kyrgios still a professional tennis player? The question is as provocative as the character, but it undeniably deserves to be asked as the person concerned has produced little racket in hand in recent years. Invited this week to the Californian desert, he will play there in the 1st round against the Argentinian Sebastian Baez his 3rd singles match of the season, and only the 27th since the beginning of 2020, 11 less than in his last “full” year. , so to speak, in 2019. So much so that his reappearance in Indian Wells where he has not played since 2019 constitutes a real event.

Down to 132nd place in the world, the whimsical Aussie had not found himself so low since June 23, 2014, a few days before his spectacular outbreak at Wimbledon where he reached the quarter-finals at 19, beating Rafael Nadal in passing. . This is to say if he has distanced himself in recent years from his sport. And yet, every time (or almost) that he performs against a big name, Kyrgios lives up to his reputation: that of a player as talented and unpredictable as he is spectacular.

The most spectacular player on the circuit… when he is motivated

To be convinced, just remember his second round against Daniil Medvedev in Melbourne. If the Russian had shown impeccable composure and control to avoid going off the track, there had really been a match (7-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2), at least during the first three sets. “No matter how long I train or how many matches I play, I will always raise my level for matches like this. I’m not going to walk away. Of course I’m not happy to have to face Daniil Medvedev in the 2nd round because of my ranking. Against 95% of the players tonight on this court, I think I win, honestly“, had also estimated Kyrgios.

The Australian Open has dismissed the specter of an early retirement

His Australian fortnight and the Grand Slam title acquired in doubles with his friend Thanasi Kokkinakis in front of a crazy audience have, it seems, moved away this prospect. “I won some big titles (6 in singles, including the most important in ATP 500 in Washington in 2019, Ed), played fantastic matches. But this one ranks number 1 for me, he testified after the final. When I say I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else, I mean it. It was just special. All week, every lap passed, I appreciated everything at its fair value. I completely immersed myself in it. I’m just super proud of myself, of the commitment I’ve shown all week with my team. Losing to Medvedev didn’t really matter to me, but winning the doubles title with Kokk was crazy.”

From the analysis of these statements, two observations stand out. First, Kyrgios is indeed able to work at high intensity, but only occasionally to achieve a short-term goal. In Melbourne, he pointed out quite disarmingly that he got up at 7:30 a.m. to train at 8:30 a.m. on rest days and that he took ice baths to heal his recovery during the tournament. A way also to imply that this professional commitment was still an exception. Then, as his appetite for basketball and the NBA shows, the Australian is never more determined than when he plays as a team (in the Australian jersey in the Davis Cup also in the past).

An à la carte season to maintain mental freshness?

At 26, Kyrgios is still young and could change his approach to tennis. But he also knows himself well enough to understand that living to the rhythm of the circuit does not suit him. He has already announced that he would skip Roland-Garros and spring on clay, a surface he hates. In short, the native of Canberra has set up a year à la carte, on the grounds where his explosive game is most likely to pay off: hard Australian and American, London grass. Some believe that he thus lacks respect for the sport which has allowed him to acquire notoriety.

However well-founded the criticism, this is not how Kyrgios sees things. Sensitive about the mental health issue put on the table by Naomi Osaka last season, the Aussie has been searching for personal balance for some time now. If he made the trip to Indian Wells, it is also because he was able to share it with his girlfriend at the time, combining business with pleasure. We also saw him at the Crypto.com Arena to watch, in the front row, the NBA game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.

What if the secret of Kyrgios’ involvement and future performance lay in this subtle and atypical dosage? Make yourself rare and mentally recharge your batteries to better give 100% on the court. To see him in training, chaining the canon services under the admiring eyes of Naomi Osaka, or all smiles after an intense session shared with Gaël Monfils, we can hope for him in good spirits when he enters the running. If so, he could ignite the California public as only he knows how. So as Nick the maverick would say: carpe diem, let’s enjoy his tennis even in small doses… as long as they are likely to carry us.