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MUTUA MADRID OPEN

May 11, 2017

Nick Kyrgios

Madrid, Spain

R. NADAL/N. Kyrgios

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We know that your grandfather passed away. You haven't trained. That had a big influence tonight, or that's personal life and it was the game?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, yeah, it was always going to be tough. You know, Rafa, he's won this tournament so many times. He plays so well on the clay.

Yeah, I haven't had the best preparations coming into this tournament. I mean, I didn't really train for a week and a half before this tournament. So to even come here and win a couple rounds. I wasn't expecting myself to play well this week at all. I didn't feel too good before the tournament on the court. Wasn't playing well.

I won a couple rounds and lost to Rafa. I'm relatively happy with my first week on clay. But he played well tonight. He was by far the better player, so...

Q. You seemed a little bit down on court today. Was there something else bothering you?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, I guess I was a bit flat. You know, I mean, I think I'm just a bit under-done. I haven't been training very much.

You know, went from playing unbelievable tennis in Indian Wells and Miami, and then Davis Cup, then I kind of just went back home and had a rest. We see everything at home happened. I mean, I just haven't been in the general gist of being a tennis player. I haven't been training. I've just been doing nothing really.

Q. Given the circumstances, was the crowd reaction a bit harsh at the end?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't really care. I get it everywhere, even if I play good. If I play 6 in the third with Federer in Miami, I still get booed off the court. So whatever.

Q. How difficult is it to play a player you respect so much?
NICK KYRGIOS: So you're asking me what do I expect of Rafa?

Q. How difficult is it for you to play Rafa when you respect him so much?
NICK KYRGIOS: Oh, right.

Yeah, I mean, it's tough. Especially on this surface, I mean, it's like a mental thing, I guess. You know, I played him on grass. I feel like that's where I'm more comfortable. I guess that's my clay, if you could put it in those words. I felt comfortable when I played him on the grass. Obviously I won there.

I played him in Rome last year. I lost in three sets. I mean, that's when I was playing probably some of the best clay court tennis I could ever play.

I wasn't expecting to beat him at all tonight, to be honest.

Q. Tennis life is a hard life. But apart from that, you are a great ambassador from Australia. You are doing a great job with the veterans, with Hewitt. Do you think we get this information in Europe? And in Australia, do you practice on clay sometimes or never?
NICK KYRGIOS: We practice on clay a fair bit. I played on clay a lot growing up. I feel like I'm comfortable on clay. As I said, my preparations for this tournament weren't great.

I don't know. I'm still learning to be a good ambassador. I don't think I'm a great ambassador yet. Roger, Rafa, you look at those guys, they're great ambassadors. I don't know if you could call me an ambassador.

Q. Do you want to be an ambassador? What are your bigger dreams and goals? Milos Raonic talked about how he wanted to be an ambassador for the game when he was 18. What is your long-term vision of your future in tennis?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, I guess I don't know if at the end of the day I want to be remembered as a great tennis player. I'd like to be someone remembered that did something for a greater cause than being just a good tennis player.

That's something I battled with. Last year I didn't really know what I wanted out of the sport. Some days I didn't want to play. I think I'm trying to battle with that now. I think I'm doing a good job. I think this year I've kind of pulled it together mentally.

But I don't know. I still don't know what I want to do. There was a point in time where if you said if I could win a Grand Slam tomorrow, that wouldn't excite me. I'm just -- I don't know.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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