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Nick Kyrgios masters the uncomfortable starting hurdle against his friend Thanasi Kokkinakis at the US Open. The Australian then explains why he feels drained so early in the tournament.
Nick Kyrgios only needs two hours and three sets against his compatriot and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis to ensure a confident entry into the second round. But the 27-year-old is not as easy as the result suggests. “It was probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I’ve played in my career. I don’t want to do that again, to be honest.”
Right from the start, Kyrgios hides who is on the other side of the net. “I really tried not to look at him at all. I think that helped me, »says the Wimbledon finalist, who has not returned to his homeland since the traditional tournament in London. That leaves traces. “I am exhausted. 99 percent of the tour don’t know what it’s like to be on the road for so long. It’s almost four months for me.”
“People don’t understand what I’m going through”
Kyrgios, for example, also has to be patient until he can meet his nephew George, who was born in June. “It’s brutal. Babies are born in my family, my mother is ill. My father is not well. And I have to keep traveling. We from Australia have no other choice », says Kyrgios without wanting to complain. “I’m just saying it’s tough. People don’t understand what I’m going through right now.”
Despite difficult circumstances, Kyrgios does not lose focus, at least in his opening game. “I’m really proud of my performance. The maturity to just put it all aside. But I miss my home a lot.” After all, the return to Australia for Kyrgios is imminent. “This is the last stop before heading home. Let’s see what we can do here.”
If the Australian appears as he did last time, he will probably have to be patient for a few more days or even weeks. In the second round he meets Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi on Wednesday.
