Dylan Bettencourt
For a long time Nick Kyrgios has been known as the guy who talks the talk but rarely walks the walk – until now.
The Australian tennis player was in fine form when he reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon earlier this year. Despite losing to Novak Djokovic in the final, Kyrgios has been in the best form of his career.
Heading into the US Open, Kyrgios was never considered to be the favourite but after knocking out world number one and US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, he might just be a contender.
The 27-year-old earned a 7-6 (13-11) 3-6 6-3 6-2 win in the last 16 to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Medvedev will now lose his spot as world number one. Kyrgios on the other hand will move back into the top 20.
“It was an amazing match. Daniil is the defending champion and has a lot of pressure on his shoulders but I’ve been playing great recently,” Kyrgios said after his victory.
“People were really starting to doubt my ability to pull out matches like this at majors. I’m really proud of myself. It hasn’t been easy dealing with all the criticism.”
Kyrgios throughout his career has shown glimpses of talent but has never truly fulfilled the potential so many believed he had.
Being in some “really scary places mentally” has hindered his progress, he admitted.
But in reaching the Wimbledon final he showed that he has what it takes to become a Grand Slam winner.
“I feel like I’m playing for a lot more than myself. I’ve got a lot of motivation in the back of my mind,” he said.
“I’ve been away from home now for four months. My whole team has. We don’t get to see our families like other tennis players do most of the time.”
Even Medvedev believes Kyrgios can win his first Grand Slam if he continues in his current form.
“If he plays like this until the end of the tournament, he has all the chances to win it. But he’s going to get tough opponents,” the Russian said.
Next up, Kyrgios faces Russian Karen Khachanov on Tuesday evening.
Image source: @BarstoolSports
