THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2021

Nick Kyrgios

Press Conference

N. KYRGIOS/G. Mager

7-6, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It felt like in that first set you were on the knife edge a bit, you were getting a little bit frustrated. In the past I think maybe that would have been one of those matches where you lost your way a little bit, gone the wrong way in the tiebreak, lost the tiebreak, then gone on to lose the match. How important was that tiebreak? Did you feel a bit more mature in that match where you kept your head when a few things were going against you like the foot-fault, et cetera?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, massive. The first set was huge. Obviously I feel like guys these days, especially against me, I reckon he went out there with a game style knowing if I play my normal game style, I'm going to get crushed. So he played a game style where he didn't even let me get into rallies much. He was serving big on first and second, trying to get the first strike in whenever he could. He was hitting massive off both sides.

There wasn't really much I could do, to be honest. But, again, like, that's what these guys are going to do to beat me, I guess on grass. He nearly did it. The first set, he was playing, like, honestly I couldn't do much more. Like, I was serving well. I thought I was returning well when I got my racquet on it. I feel like I'm playing well. He just took the racquet out of my hand for a certain period of time.

Then I stayed composed in the buster, like 5-2 down in the tiebreak. It could have been gone either way. I've done it so many times before. That's experience. A player like that hasn't played that many Grand Slams, hasn't played that many matches at Grand Slams, hasn't won many matches at Grand Slam.

I finally just leveled myself. I even prepared myself. Like I said, if I lose this first set, I'm not doing anything wrong. Mentally, I was like, I'm just going to continue to go out there, keep serving. I'll get my chance. His level had to dip a little bit.

Look, he's a hell of a player. Like, he really surprised me today, honestly. Like, he played some redline tennis that nearly got the job done, so...

Q. It was an enjoyable watch. It always is when you play. A couple crowd members who almost coached you at times. Are you someone who does enjoy that? I've not seen it, even at your matches, people talking to you quite that much.

NICK KYRGIOS: Uhm, yeah, I feel like when they come to my matches now, they know how I am. I'm quite lighthearted. Yeah, they know it's a bit of a show. They just want entertainment at the end of the day. Like a couple screaming out asking normal questions about Tottenham Hotspur. It's a bit odd. It's crazy out there.

I have people in the front row literally coaching me, like literally telling me, That's all right, good ball, great return, it will work next time, good depth.

I'm like, Dude, what is going on out here?

It's good. Obviously the fan base is awesome. But I was just, like, I think the people are just excited to see tennis again at the end of the day. Like crowds seeing Wimbledon, it didn't seem half capacity like the crowds I played in front of. Yesterday against Humbert full, that stadium full. Pretty cool.

Q. I wanted to ask you about another player who won while you were playing who is compared a lot to you, Alexander Bublik. What do you make of him? Do you think you're different sort of creatures out here in meaningful ways?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, he's a hell of a player. The thing I love about him, obviously I see similarities with game style, but just how he carries himself. He's his own man. He walks around. I know for a fact he doesn't take shit from anyone. Like, he's going about his tennis career the way he wants to go about it. That's good to see. It's good to see players like that, like not conforming to what the sport wants you to play like.

He beat a hell of a player today. Dimitrov has had so much success here. He goes out there, playing the tennis he's playing, which is exciting. He's going to pack out stands. He won in straight sets. That style of tennis, I'm glad there's more players like that that can prove that that style of tennis is high percentage for some people.

Him hitting two first serves at big moments is high percentage for his game style. Not hitting a kick serve and then grinding.

Yeah, we're similar. I feel like I might have the edge on serve. I feel like I have a better serve. He's pretty creative, man. I feel like I'm an old soul on tour. It's good to see another guy like that kind of take my place when I do eventually go. All the tennis world, Thank god Kyrgios is gone, you're going to have to deal with Bublik now. That's just the way it's going to be.

Q. Why do you think there's so few non-conformist players out there? What is it about the tour life that makes some people sort of cookie cutter?

NICK KYRGIOS: I feel like it's the culture of the sport. It's very clean, very clean-cut. You get told to play a certain way. I got told to play a certain way. I got told to play like Diego Schwartzman when I was young. Cross-court, be disciplined, don't change direction too much. Maybe don't hit a big second serve there, that's a bad dropshot.

It's like, Dude. You have guys like Bublik and myself having success on the tour, being quality players, playing the way we play, and it's entertainment.

I think people now, especially myself, like, I don't really care what people think I should play like. I know what I should play like. I feel comfortable and I'm happy the way I play. I feel like more people -- he's happy the way he plays. I saw him in the locker room, he chucks his Jordans on, he's out. He's going to rock up tomorrow. He may lose, but he's happy with the way. He's going out there being himself, playing the right game style.

At the end of the day he's going to look at himself in the mirror and say he's happy playing that way. It's good.

Q. When the list was released re the Olympics, you were on the entry list. What are your thoughts about that? How much easier has it been this year compared to the last time and all the fuss was going on with the AOC, Kitty Chiller, et cetera?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, look, ever since I was a player, I wanted to play, compete in the Olympics. But look, I've always entered Atlanta as well. I'm tossing up my options at the same time. I think I've heard some things about the Olympics that are very tough restrictions-wise, like no guests, none of that stuff.

Look, at this moment in time I'm just trying to get through my matches here. Obviously physically I am struggling a lot. After that five-setter against Humbert, not really playing a match for so long, I definitely pulled up very sore today. I thought I was going to struggle physically today to be honest.

Look, I'm not even thinking that far. Obviously with the outside noise of not having Kitty Chiller telling me you don't deserve to be there when I was 13 in the world. I mean, it was laughable. Then I went back and forth. I was a bit younger back then. I got a bit personal. Then she was like, Kyrgios is done.

It's good to not have that outside noise now. If I choose to play, it's good that I feel like I'm a part of the group, I'm more embraced now, which is good. Look, we've got a strong team. We're sending a strong team.

As I said, I'm just trying to get through this at the moment. I've got a lot on my plate.

Q. In the middle of the game you said a phrase, something like 'make it real grass.' Could you explain what you felt when playing on that grass? Was it really too bad?

NICK KYRGIOS: Well, don't get me wrong. These are some of the best grass courts in the world. Let's just make that clear.

But every single player would agree that they've completely slowed down the grass. It's not playing like it should be playing. Grass courts are meant to be ridiculously fast, reward big servers, players that are going to come in, hit nice volleys. Federer for instance. Now they've completely slowed down the court.

You're not getting as much out of your serve that you should be getting. I'm hitting 136 miles an hour, like, serves. Back in the day, unreturnable. Now Mager is lacing return winners off my first serve. It shouldn't be happening.

It is what it is. I think they've done it obviously for TV purposes. It's nice to see rallies on the grass. It's nice to see Djokovic gracing the court with his rallies.

But grass court tennis is serve and volley. It's the roots of the tennis game. Tennis grew up on this surface. The grass courts I played on when I was younger were fast, you get rewarded for hitting flat shots coming forward. You don't get rewarded as much any more. It is what it is.

I feel like that's just the way of tennis now. All surfaces are kind of playing with similar speeds, when grass and clay should be completely different. You should be having rallies on clay, not rallies on grass courts. Now you're having rallies nearly every point.

I know they're not going to change it. Players are just going to have to adapt, but that's just what it is.

Q. Before Wimbledon you only played in Australia since the pandemic and in front of a home crowd. How does it differ being here in London? You seem to be playing with even more pressure off, enjoying yourself, more relaxed in the press conferences, et cetera.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, look, it's just been awesome. I feel like the public and the crowds have really embraced me and really enjoyed me being back. I feel like I've got a lot to offer for this tournament.

Yeah, I just feel like I don't put as much pressure on myself any more. When I was younger, it was hard to deal with all the criticism that the media gave me, that everyone gave me. He should be doing this, he should be achieving this. He's not doing this enough.

Like, it beat me down to a point of very bad depression. I wasn't even enjoying myself. Like, I wasn't even coming to Wimbledon and enjoying myself. I was not embracing this amazing event. I wasn't embracing having another day.

Now I just enjoy it when I'm out there. I breathe in the fresh air. Like, I don't take anything for granted.

I just feel like I'm comfortable, just enjoying, like it's Wimbledon. People love Wimbledon. I love Wimbledon. I love seeing the crowd. Just the smell of it.

I just don't put that much pressure on myself any more. I'm okay with that. I'm okay with not winning Grand Slams. I know that's going to make a lot of people angry. He should be doing this. But I shouldn't, though. It's not your life, it's mine. I'm okay with just enjoying myself, putting on a show.

Not everyone can be a Federer or Djokovic. These are, like, once-in-a-decade athletes that, like, inspire millions of people. Like, they're just gods. I see them as that, too.

You have to have some people, I believe, that are relatable, that people can bring other fans to watch, like people that are just normal. I feel like I'm one of those people. Not everyone can be a Federer, a Djokovic or a Nadal. I'm Nick Kyrgios. I know who I am.

Q. You told us previously that you wanted to entertain the people, you wanted to have some fun. In that light, you are scheduled to play an exhibition in Santiago in September against 45-year-old former World No. 1, Marcelo Rios. What do you expect from that visit to Santiago? What are your thoughts on Rios?

NICK KYRGIOS: Obviously he was one of the talented players ever to play the game. I'm super excited. They came to me and they wanted to do a nice exhibition. I mean, it's awesome, to play a legend of the sport in his hometown. I've never been to Chile either.

I don't know what to expect. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I'm assuming the stadium is going to be full and we're going to put on a show. It's going to be awesome. I think that's one of the last events I'll be doing and then I'll probably head home. I'm really going to soak it up.

Obviously every time I'm stepping out on the court with Venus Williams, I'm going to go out and play a match against Marcelo Rios, these are things that I'm not going to take for granted. At the end of my career, I'm going to look back and say, Wow, I was very lucky to have those moments. I think I've earned that right to go out there and play and make people happy. That's the style of tennis that I play, so...

Q. You talked about the culture of our sport. Do you think in some ways it might be loosened up a little bit to let more personality out? Do you think they contain personalities too much?

NICK KYRGIOS: I think they still do. I still think tennis especially locks in these types of players that have so much to give to the sport. It happened for the first three, four years of my career. I was crucified for doing anything out of the ordinary, out of the box, talking to the crowd, hitting between my legs, underarm serve.

The biggest example is when I hit an underarm serve against Rafa in Acapulco. It was like, Disgraced the game, he has no respect for the sport. He's a disgrace. Then you have people like Kei Nishikori hitting underarm serves. It's like, Oh, he's so tactically switched on.

You have players now that I love watching, like Bublik, you've got Tiafoe. You've got these guys who are not conforming. They're making the sport awesome. I feel like tennis has to get behind these players. Once Djokovic, Federer, Nadal all leave, this sport is going to be in dire need of personalities to take that torch.

Yes, we've got Rublevs, Zverevs. But at the same time you need -- they might take the mantle of those three, what about the others? You look at any other sport, there's a wide range of players that are marketed. Look at the NBA, they market everyone. Like, tennis needs that. You got so many players that are just going to bring so many -- Felix, for instance. He has, for me personally, he's going to have such a wide fan base that needs to be tapped into to keep this sport alive.

But look, I think they still do. I think they're embracing it, I think the tennis world is embracing it. They know that. I think the tour knows they have some special people around. They have some people players, some young guys coming up that are just exciting to watch. We've got the potential to grow, for sure.