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CITI OPEN

August 4, 2019

Nick Kyrgios

Washington D.C.

N. KYRGIOS/S. Tsitsipas

6-4, 3-6, 7-6

Q. It seems like from day one you've been here, you've been engaging a lot with the fans, whether it's during practice or during a match. Just how much does that help you during the week, and how much fun are you having this week?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, this week has been awesome. It's probably one of the best tournament weeks of my life. I've really enjoyed myself. D.C. has been a lot of fun. Crowds have been awesome. But I mean, I'm just doing the right things. I'm having the same routine every day. I'm trying to improve on a lot of little habits, and it's paying off. Five days in a row competing, I'm pretty happy with myself.

Q. You talk a lot about motivation. We ask you a lot about motivation. But what is it that's kind of propelling you or making you want to focus on that part of your game, on having the same routine and being more consistent this week?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, I always knew that I could produce good tennis, but the problem with me was not being able to do it every day and every week. I would go missing for a month and then show up to a tournament and maybe play well. I think it came from within that I just wanted to start being better as a tennis player and as a person and just trying to have better habits, I guess.

Q. How often do you look at the stats after your matches, win or lose, and did you happen to look at the stats tonight?
NICK KYRGIOS: I saw one thing on Twitter that we had the same stats, but honestly, I'm an anti-stat guy. I don't look at any of that sort of stuff. I just go out there and serve big and play big.

Q. Obviously in the second, it seemed like there were some distractions going on. I was wondering, how were you able to refocus and get back on track and eventually win?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, it was spiraling out of control at one point. I've been in that position a lot, and it's gone even worse. I've been defaulted before. I haven't competed in the third set. So I'm pretty happy with myself the way I tried to drag it back from a dark place and managed to hold on the first couple service games in the third set and just competed. I just left it all out there and gave myself a chance to win the match, and honestly, it could have gone either way. He fully deserved to win, as well. I'm pretty happy the way I somehow just battled in and dug deep.

Q. You talked about having routines. You've been in a pretty good mode of the ping-pong before the matches. Is that actually helping you, keeping you loose, or something -- being in fun frame of mind, because it's within an hour of the match you're playing?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I've always been like that, honestly. I love playing ping-pong with kids and just playing ping-pong in general. I think that's normal. I think if there's kids in the players' lounge, I like playing ping-pong, so of course I'm going to play ping-pong. It's a good warm-up, too, get a little light sweat going.

Q. You pushed Rafa so hard at Wimbledon. Now for the hard court season it seems like you've incorporated more aspects into your game with more drop shots. What other things are you working on to fulfill your best potential for the US Open?
NICK KYRGIOS: I think it's more off the court and mentally. I think I've always been able to play high-level tennis. My serve is my weapon and I've always been capable, but I just need to be able to be more consistent and be mentally tougher. I mean, I don't think it's got anything to do with tennis.

Q. One stat that stands out this season is that after tonight's match you're now 4-1 against top-10 players. Is that a stat that you use to continue to improve your game and to play at a higher, more aggressive level?
NICK KYRGIOS: Honestly, man, I don't even look at the rankings. I believe that I can beat anyone if I play the right way. I think the ranking system is overrated. I just go out there and play my game, and I think I can beat anyone.

Q. You will play Medvedev in the final tomorrow. You beat him on clay earlier this year in your only match-up. What are your memories from that match and your thoughts going into tomorrow?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, he's a super unorthodox player. He's got a very tough game, hits the ball flat. Unbelievable athlete I think for his size. He moves really well. That match in Rome was high level. I thought I played the right way, I had the right tactics, so he's going to make adjustments. But I'm not thinking about that right now.

I'm so tired. I just want to have a good rest and come out tomorrow and have some fun. But yeah, he's one of the best players in the world, top 10, obviously, but he's going to have a very -- I think he's going to have a very long and consistent career.

Q. As I recall, it took you, I think, until the second shot of the match to hit your first tweener. You have wonderful skills to improvise. How do you know out there when you're going to do what you do sometimes in terms of the tweeners? I saw you hit essentially like a jump shot where you jumped up in the air to hit a drop shot. Is it kind of instinct, spur of the moment?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, yeah, I guess it's just instinct. I mean, when I get lobbed, I think -- the highest percentage shot for me is to hit a tweener. I don't like getting back and hitting a defensive lob. I think it's very predictable. I mean, I can hit a lob from my tweener or I can hit it short. I can go anywhere I want, really. For me it's just high percentage. As ridiculous as it sounds, I just back myself. It's just completely instinct.

Q. If you feel like it, I'm wondering if you could elaborate a little bit on something you said last night. You said that you're playing for more than just yourself out there, and also that you think a lot of people can relate to you. So I'm curious why do you think that? Have people said that, or what do you think it is about you that people relate to?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't know, I've got -- growing up, I mean, I was a very overweight kid. Got told by coaches, teachers that I wasn't going to be very good at what I chose to do, which was tennis, and I think people can just relate to people telling you you can't do anything, and I feel like I'm proving a lot of people wrong. I've beaten every single one of the best tennis players in the world doing it my way, and I'm never going to stop doing that, and I think people can draw inspiration from that. I think you don't listen to anyone, you just back yourself and believe in yourself, and that's all that matters.

Q. Tsitsipas was laughing out there when you brought him the shoes. Does it matter to you how other players react? Is it nice to have someone across the net who's kind of laughing with you in those moments?
NICK KYRGIOS: I guess. I just wanted to speed the process up of getting the shoes to him. By the way, Adidas socks. (Laughter).

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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