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FEVER-TREE CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2019

Nick Kyrgios

London, England

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How's the preparation been?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it's been good. Obviously didn't get too many matches last week in Stuttgart, but I lost to the eventual winner.

Played a bit of dubs last week and got here and had a hit. Have been feeling good. This is probably my favorite time of the year. Obviously the Aussie summer is pretty good, but just being in London when the weather is like this is pretty hard to beat. Just playing on grass every day, it's a lot of fun.

Q. Andy Murray is back. Just want to get your comment. He's looking for a doubles partner for Wimbledon. Would you be interested?
NICK KYRGIOS: Um, yeah, I mean, first of all, it's great to see him back. I think results, you know, don't matter. Just to see him back healthy and seeing him happy on court is all that matters. He's actually the first person I saw yesterday on the court doing doubles drills, and I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

It's just good to see him back, but I don't think I want to carry him for Wimbledon dubs. I think he can find someone else to do that for him (smiling).

Q. Has he spoken to you about it? Has he discussed it?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, when I hit with him in Wimby a couple weeks ago, we spoke about it. But it's best-of-five sets, which is tough. I don't know if my body -- if I happen to go deep at Wimbledon, it's too tough to play doubles, as well. Yeah.

Q. Are you surprised by a guy who was retired, essentially, in January? And now he's back playing tennis in five months? It's miraculous.
NICK KYRGIOS: Unbelievable. He's a warrior. I hit with him a couple times in London, obviously when I took a spell from the French.

He's still hitting the ball unbelievable. I think he's well good enough to do damage in any doubles of any players, especially this week with Feliciano. I'd almost pay to watch that match. They're going to be tough to beat.

Yeah, he's a legend. I mean, I don't want to keep answering questions because it's like I love the guy or something (smiling).

Q. As you were saying, you were hitting with Andy I think the week before the French.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah.

Q. Have you been here for, like, four weeks? Apart from going to Germany for a bit?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I was in London, yeah.

Q. Why do you sort of feel so comfortable here, sort of spending quite a long, a big portion of your year really here?
NICK KYRGIOS: Well, it's quite similar to Australia. Ultimately it feels a little bit like home. But, you know, I mean, I could train here. My physical trainer is from here, as well.

I was just sorting a couple of things out that I had to deal with. I just enjoyed staying here. Obviously it wasn't in the back of my mind that I was always going to -- you know, I had something unfortunate happen to pull out of the French. I was actually expecting to play the French Open. It was a smart move to come here and start preparing for the grass.

Q. Can you share with us what happened?
NICK KYRGIOS: A bit of a stomach bug.

Q. You had a bit of a stomach bug?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, yeah.

Q. So it wasn't anything kind of -- the way you said it...
NICK KYRGIOS: No, I just went to, like, a curry house (smiling). Yeah.

Q. I haven't seen you since the French, and Ash Barty...
NICK KYRGIOS: Unbelievable stuff.

Q. Wondered if you've bumped into her? And if you could give us a hint of what the reaction has been like back in Oz or any feedback from her, what was a pretty amazing win?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think she's probably "the" most talented tennis player I have seen in a long time. I played juniors with her. I grew up with her. Literally we were traveling to Thailand through Asia and playing juniors.

She was raking up titles in juniors. I always knew that she was going to be a champion at some stage, just how bad she wanted it. Obviously she took that break to get her mind right and step back from the sport, and then she came back and was so dominant.

I actually think she's probably one of the favorites for Wimbledon, for sure. I think Australia has been waiting for that next player to win a Grand Slam and I think she was our best chance. She's amazing. I mean, she's gonna pile them up.

Q. That break she took to play cricket, what were the pressures like when you were younger, a young tennis player? She spent so much time on the road. There was one year she was home for 70 days of the year or something. What's it like for you? I know you're a bit of a home body. You don't like to be away from home for too long.
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it's tough, especially from Australia. If you live in Europe and you lose at a tournament, you can catch a train or a couple-hour flight to get back home and refresh.

I spent almost six months away from home last year. I mean, I'm not the most mentally steady person in general, but when I'm away from home, I struggle.

But, yeah, I mean, it's not easy. That's why you have to get the good people around you, try to get that home environment. That's why London, I get an Airbnb, try and get that home environment going.

But back to her, she's incredible. What she did at the French Open was awesome to see. I was loving every minute of it.

Q. You mentioned you think you might get a good run at Wimbledon. It's been 16 years since someone who is not a member of the Big Four who has won the title there. Do you think you're capable of ending that stranglehold?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, it will be tough. I think the way Novak is playing is pretty special. Obviously Roger, he's going to be tough to beat. Rafa is always a threat, as well.

I'm not thinking about that right now. You know, I've got a tough match tomorrow against a guy who won a title yesterday. I want to have a good week here, find my feet.

But I definitely feel like I can do damage. I have had a lot of good wins on grass. Obviously made a quarterfinal run when I was a little bit younger, but I think if the stars align, for sure I can do damage there.

Q. Stefanos says he doesn't think a lot of players are taking enough responsibility to really take on these big guys at Grand Slams. Do you think there is a little bit too much respect shown to them in those sort of events?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, I don't personally probably show them respect. They're just good at tennis. Over five sets, I don't think anyone will ever beat Rafa at the French Open in five sets. It's just too hard physically to do it. The court is too suited to his game style. It's not gonna happen as long as he's feeling healthy.

But at Wimbledon, it's going to be tough to beat Novak or Federer, five sets. It's going to be incredible tough to keep that level. I'm not sure if we give them too much respect. I just don't know if the younger guys are good enough to beat them over five sets.

Q. Is Wimbledon the most open of the majors to win, do you think?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I'd probably say it is. I say if somebody is serving big and feeling themselves that week, I think for sure they could probably make more of a run.

I mean, at the French Open, I knew Rafa was going to win before -- I mean, everyone in this room knew Rafa was going to win. I thought Thiem was going to make a pretty solid run. I think Wimbledon is probably the most open one, yeah.

Q. You had some very honest things to say about the top players in that podcast just prior to the French Open. What's it going to be like when you're playing against, if you get drawn against them at Wimbledon? Is it a concern they are really going to be very determined to beat you after what you said about them?
NICK KYRGIOS: No. I think if I play Novak he'd just be determined to get one win against me, and I have played Rafa a bunch of times. We have beaten each other, as well.

I think they are motivated to beat me in general. I don't think before those comments they were, like, Oh, I don't really wear. They wanted to beat me regardless.

But, like, my opinions won't change. I don't mind -- like, I like when we go out there and we battle. Like, that's what it is.

Q. Have you had to bite your tongue? You're quite an honest guy. Does that sometimes put you in trouble being too outspoken and too honest?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, at times it does. I mean, in society today, when someone is being honest, it causes a bit of a stir. So, I mean, I just say what I think and I just go about it the way I go about it.

Q. On-court coaching, what's your opinion about on-court coaching?
NICK KYRGIOS: Oh, with the US Open thing, just happened today?

I don't agree with it at all. I think on-court coaching shouldn't be a part of the sport. I don't think -- like, it's supposed to be one on one. You're supposed to figure out things yourself when you're out there on court.

And especially for guys who don't have a coach, like myself or guys who can't afford a coach, like, it's not really a level playing field when you have a guy that's literally talking to their players on court. Makes no sense.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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