the figure of Nick Kyrgios usually generates a stir day after day, nothing that surrounds the Australian is usually normal and after his discharge from the United Cup 2023 there have been many fans who have been disappointed with the attitude of the man from Canberra in the competition and more after what happened with the Davis cupwhere we remember that Kyrgios refused to be part of the team.
After getting off the United Cup only 24 hours before the tournament began, there were many critical voices with Kyrgios, since they reproached him for this decision after having spent the entire month of December in exhibitions and going so far as to declare that the Australian summer was the part of the year that most motivated him. Even Craig Tiley had to go out to explain the loss of Kyrgios to calm the waters.
As usual in Kyrgios, it has not taken long for him to come out to explain himself. On this occasion, he did so in an interview for The Sydney Morning Herald, where he commented on what led him to withdraw from the tournament so few hours after it started and after having been training for a few days, and he also referred to how difficult it is to win Grand Slam matches.
United Cup withdrawal
“These things happen in tennis, especially when you are two weeks away from a Grand Slam. This is a big event in itself. There is a prize of $15 million [dólares estadounidenses] and 500 ranking points. But as a player, you have to keep an eye out for the Grand Slams. The fact that he was here practicing, he had every intention of playing. Unfortunately, it won’t be.”
Difficulty preparing for a Grand Slam
“Anyone who plays professionally knows that for sure. Anyone outside of that wouldn’t have much of an understanding. Going deep or not, winning a Grand Slam-level match is no easy feat. People underestimate the pressure and nerves of being a part of one of the biggest tournaments of the year. Also, having found myself with this injury and knowing that the best opportunity was not given just adds to the mountain of pressure I face. So feeling good physically is important.”
Feeling about not being able to compete in the United Cup
“I was in contact with Craig and Stephen regularly about the situation. We all work together to try to get the best result. Not everyone is going to understand or see it from my side and that’s okay. What my team and I can control is how we go about our business and make sure that whoever needs to know, knows, and we leave it at that. Obviously it is very difficult. It’s not ideal to have an injury at some point in the season, but that’s the risk I take every time I step on the court. I worked very closely with my team every day on my progression and spoke with William, my physio, after each session. I tried to be ready for that, but at some point you need to listen to the advice you’re getting and do your best.”
