Nick Kyrgios says playing for Australia in a Davis Cup tie this year "reminded me tennis can be fun", adamant he's better prepared to bounce back for the last grand slam of the year.
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The world No. 18 will be riding a wave of momentum to the US Open in New York next week after finding form at the Cincinnati Masters.
Kyrgios has been plagued by injury for most of the year and was forced to retire from Wimbledon.
But the 22-year-old known for his yoyo form on the court appears to have rediscovered his mojo at the perfect time as he targets his best US Open campaign.
"Something I've learnt about myself is that I can bounce back quite well," Kyrgios said on an episode of ATP World Tour Uncovered.
"After the Australian Open, [I] lost in the second round and didn't really know if I was going to continue playing for the next couple of months or just take it off.
"I came back from Davis Cup and that was the best choice I've ever made to be with a great group of guys and just remembering tennis can be fun."
Kyrgios beat world No. 1 Rafael Nadal last week and is set to earn a protected top-16 seeding at the US Open.
The Canberra star has played just a handful of matches since the French Open and was forced to retire from three tournaments as he struggled with injuries.
Kyrgios admitted he "wasn't in a good place at all" as he battled to get fit, but is refusing to get caught in the hype after winning seven of his past nine matches.
However, he said beating Novak Djokovic twice earlier this year has given him a massive confidence boost to improve his US Open record.
Kyrgios has never made it past the third round at Flushing Meadows, but believes he is capable of beating anyone in front of him. If he turns up mentally.
Three-time grand slam champion Andy Murray has been a sounding board for Kyrgios while he searches for the right mix to take the next step in his career.
"I took a load of confidence [out of beating Djokovic], I always believed I could win those type of matches and I feel like every time I step out on the court now, I've got a great chance of winning the match," Kyrgios said.
"Me and Andy, we're great mates. Every time he's in the locker room we'll talk and have great banter.
"He's a guy who has always been nice to me and has always had my back and when I need to talk about something, I can always go to him. He's just a great guy."
