Tennis prodigy Nick Kyrgios is a former world junior number one who made history last year when he became the fourth youngest winner of an Association of Tennis Professionals Challenger title – the youngest since Nadal.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Kyrgios has had a taste of the big time, having played in the main singles draw at three of the four majors – the French, Australian and US Opens, as well as making his Davis Cup debut – a mean feat for an 18-year-old.
“The match that stands out for me was winning my first ever Grand Slam match at the 2013 French Open against Roddick Stepanek,” he says.
It was the biggest win of Kyrgios’ career to date, beating out the former world number eight in three sets, giving him the first ATP Tour level win of his career.
“That was probably my break-through match and ever since then my game has just elevated, so now that I’ve got a taste for it I know what’s required to make it happen again,” he says.
Kyrgios is desperate to get back to competing in order to hone his skills but says even though tennis has always played a part in his life, he had no idea his career would pan out like it has.
“It’s been an unbelievable journey. It wasn’t that long ago when I was just training down at the Lyneham courts,” he says.
“My life has changed in the last year and it’s been pretty hectic but there’s still a lot to learn and a lot of experiences to go through.”
Back home in Canberra before heading off on a three-month long stint to America for a couple of tournaments and then to Europe to play in the French Open and Wimbledon, Kyrgios says he’s developed a new-found appreciation for his roots.
“Wherever you are, home is home. Canberra has a quiet culture and a lot of support, it was pretty easy waking up every morning and trying to chase that tennis dream,” he says.
“I remember it was just a couple of us kids with junior coach Todd Larkham down at Lyneham, having a couple of courts all to ourselves – I think that is just as effective as having all the professional facilities there for you.
“As long as you’re enjoying it, it doesn’t matter where you are.”
Kyrgios’ down time activities include playing Xbox and shooting hoops with his mates – another strong skill he modestly shrugs off as just a hobby.
Not many people know that Kyrgios was a promising basketball player, representing the ACT and Australia in the team sport until he made the decision to focus solely on his tennis career.
“There’s a video of me versing Gael Monfils on the internet so you can see me there just dominating him,” he laughs.
Kyrgios is in pursuit of a top 100 rank this year, but says that is a bonus if he just focuses on continuing to get better every day.
“I know that I’m more than capable of getting there, even if it takes years, because being 18 there is still a long time to go,” he says.
