THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 6, 2022

Nick Kyrgios

Press Conference

N. KYRGIOS/C. Garin

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Nick, first Grand Slam semifinal. How are you feeling?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, as I said on court, I never thought that I would be here. The ship, I thought, was gone. Especially where I was a couple years ago...

But obviously everything I've overcome, I'm feeling really, really proud of myself and the team, the level I'm playing.

Today was not easy at all. He was extremely, extremely good.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Before we ask you about the tennis, Nick, I feel like we need to ask you if you have any response to the court summons, how the whole situation has affected you.

NICK KYRGIOS: Obviously I have a lot of thoughts, a lot of things I want to say, kind of my side about it. Obviously I've been advised by my lawyers that I'm unable to say anything at this time.

Look, I understand everyone wants to kind of ask about it and all that, but I can't give you too much on that right now.

Q. Can you take us through at all what happened in the last 24 hours may have affected you, throwing you off, how you got through yesterday, and what was going through your head going on to the court knowing we're all going to ask you about it, the crowd is probably thinking about it. What is the experience?

NICK KYRGIOS: Didn't really affect me at all, to be honest with you. Obviously seeing it -- I'm only human. Obviously I read about it and obviously everyone else was asking questions. It was hard. It was hard to kind of just focus on kind of the mission at hand. It was quarterfinals of Wimbledon today. I know deep down that's what I was prepared for.

It didn't really affect my preparation at all. I knew I stayed true to myself and give my best performance today.

Q. After you won you sat in your chair and stayed there for a couple of minutes. You've said before there's a million thoughts running through your head. What was going through your head right then?

NICK KYRGIOS: Just how things can change. There was a point where I was almost done with the sport. Obviously I posted this year about the kind of mental state I was in in 2019 when I was at the Australian Open with self-harm and suicidal thoughts and stuff.

I'm sitting there today after the match... To be a semifinalist at Wimbledon, it's a special accomplishment for everyone, but I think especially for me.

I don't think anyone would have -- if you asked anyone if I was able to do that the last couple years, I think everyone would have probably said, No, he doesn't have the mental capacity, he doesn't have the fitness capacity, he doesn't have the discipline, all that. I almost started doubting myself with all that traffic coming in and out of my mind.

I just sat there today and soaked it all in. There's just so many people I want to thank. At the same time I feel like I don't want to stop here either.

Q. Given what you just described, beyond this fortnight at Wimbledon, how would you describe your road to your first major semifinal?

NICK KYRGIOS: Rocky (smiling).

But, honestly, I'm so proud of just -- like honestly, at the start of the year, I didn't even know if I wanted to really play like a proper schedule at all. I don't really play a proper schedule now.

I obviously had thoughts the last year, year and a half, whether I wanted to play anymore. Lost the love, lost the fire, lost the spark. Then some things just changed in my life. I don't know. I kind of just rediscovered that I've got a lot of people that want me to play, that I play for. I've got a lot left in the tank. I feel like I'm probably playing some of my best tennis, mentally feeling great.

It's been a long road. I think it was a seven-, eight-year gap to make a quarterfinal here from my first one. It's been a heck of a ride.

Q. Mate, we don't know the last quarterfinal result, but can you talk about the potential matchups, how special it might be if you do play Rafa. You've had a couple of great matches with him here. Also potentially playing the two best players in the world, without Medvedev, to win the title.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, obviously it would be pretty special to play Rafa here. We've had some absolute battles on that Centre Court. He's won one against me, and I've won one against him.

Obviously, we know, two completely different personalities. I feel like we respect the hell out of each other, though. I feel like that would be a mouth-watering kind of encounter for everyone around the world. That would probably be the most-watched match of all time. I would argue that.

Fritz on the other hand, he's been my Team World compatriot, a hell of a player, serves massive, extremely confident in his ability. I wouldn't be surprised if he's able to pull that out. He's won Indian Wells. He's proved he can play on the big stage.

But, look, I don't care who I play to be honest. There's a lot of work that needs to go in from now and tomorrow, then when I step out on that Centre Court again, I need to make sure my body's right.

Q. Yesterday you were approached by reporters after your practice session. I think you said you felt like you were on 'The Last Dance'. What did you mean by that?

NICK KYRGIOS: I wasn't actually talking to the reporter. I was walking with my physio. We rewatched 'The Last Dance' documentary. Yeah, that's it.

Q. I think you described your win over Brandon as a good performance mentally. I think today you might say the same thing. Is that in comparison or in contrast to what happened against Tsitsipas? Have you made a conscious effort to try to, I don't know, focus yourself in a different way during matches?

NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, look, I think my mental performance against Tsitsipas was amazing, given the fact that with everything going on in that match, I was still able to maintain good level, that competitiveness. I felt like that was almost the most difficult. A lot of things could have taken my focus away.

Today I was not expecting Garin to have that level of tennis on the grass courts. Obviously we know how capable he is on the other surfaces. But my God, that forehand return is going to give me nightmares.

I came out first game and he hit, like, three winners off my serve. I feel like I've got one of the best serves in the world. I was, like, This guy is good.

I'm really happy with the way I returned today, happy with the way I competed, because he's a hell of a player.

Q. Emma Raducanu just tweeted an 'NK' with a magic wand, which I assume is about you. Have you ever had any interactions with her? Are you flattered to get that response from her?

NICK KYRGIOS: I haven't had much communication with Emma before. I feel like I've kind of stuck up for her a bit in the media with some of the stuff that older legends kind of love to just throw shade and have their opinions on young players, young important players.

She's obviously going to be one of the most important players on the WTA Tour for a very long time. She's obviously capable of winning a Grand Slam at 19. I mean, I don't even know how old she is exactly. 19, I think. She's very capable of doing that again.

I'm glad that I have those supporters. If she loves watching my tennis, that's great. I enjoy watching her tennis, as well.

But I think that was just a bit of a payback for how much I've kind of stuck up for her in the media.

Q. Sorry to bring up this issue again. What do you think about the timing of receiving the summons during Wimbledon? Will you be going to court as ordered?

NICK KYRGIOS: Look, I understand you want me to give you the answers. I can't. I can't speak anymore on the issue.

Q. Did you know before Wimbledon started or did you learn yesterday like the rest of us?

NICK KYRGIOS: Do you want me to sound like a broken record?

Q. I'd like an answer, if you can.

NICK KYRGIOS: I can't.

THE MODERATOR: I think he's explained, sorry, that he can't answer anything on that.

Q. In your interview before the tournament even started, you were asked what you needed to do to string a few together in a slam, which you've done now. You basically just said, Get some rest. Is it as simple as that or are there other bits and pieces that have contributed over the last couple weeks?

NICK KYRGIOS: I just feel like I'm more mature. I think earlier in my career if I made a third, fourth or quarterfinals, I'd be on my phone a lot, I would be engaging online a lot, would be keen to go out to dinner and explore or just do things to kind of, not necessarily soak in the achievement, but just not conservatively just go back to my house at Wimbledon with my team, put my feet up, get treatment and eat, get good rest.

I think everyone has the same goal in my team. That's why it's working. We all know what we've come here to do. I made it pretty known to them that I wanted to go pretty deep here and possibly even raise the trophy. I've made that pretty known.

I feel like it's literally just been as simple as get some rest. Like, Nick, stay in the house. That's not always been the easiest thing for me over my career (smiling).

Q. 'Give a man a mask and he will become his true self', what those words mean to you?

NICK KYRGIOS: I feel as if, just with anything these days, people are so afraid to just open up on how they're feeling. For me it was mental health obviously. I personally didn't think that Nick Kyrgios was able to feel how I was feeling years ago, obviously with, you know, the dark thoughts, the self-harm. If I wasn't Nick Kyrgios, I would have opened up about it a lot sooner.

I feel like if people anonymously told you how they felt, they would do it a lot. People would open up a lot more. I mean, I wanted to be the ambassador for people to just be themselves no matter who you are, be comfortable in your own skin, believe in yourself.

I don't want people to hide anymore. It's okay to be what color you are, whatever. Just be yourself.

Q. When you played Nakashima, even though you were very focused, you had a couple tweeners, underarm serves. You didn't do one what I would call a trick shot today. Is that a reflection of where you are in the tournament?

NICK KYRGIOS: I definitely felt a bit more pressure today. Obviously uncharted territory moving into the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time.

But I don't think I've been kind of favorite in many matches at a Grand Slam at this stage. Every time I've made it to the quarterfinals, or fourth round, I've played Andy Murray in his prime, Raonic in his prime. I never felt like I was the one to come off that match court with a win.

How it's been in my fourth round and today, I felt like I've been expected to kind of go on the court. I think everyone, when I played Nakashima, wanted me to go on the court and just get it done in three or four sets, kind of comfortable. I found myself locked in a five-set battle.

Today, my record on grass, Garin's probably least favorite surface. Everyone is like, Kyrgios is probably going to win that. The score does not reflect how tough that was today.

Look, I'm always going to play a tweener here or there when I want, I guess. Today I just felt like I was on the back foot so much, I couldn't afford to play shots like that today, to be honest.

Q. How would you compare the sense of satisfaction and pride you're feeling right now with all the other wins in your career?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I feel good. But as I said, like, I'm not the type to walk out of this room and tell everyone about my results and stuff. I like to just perform and then just go back and relax and chill, play games, just have fun.

Like, at the end of the day, it is a tennis match. It's not everything to me. I love so many things. I love just playing basketball with my mates. I love just hanging out, having dinner.

Yeah, it's great. It's a great accomplishment. But it's not something that, like, means everything to me. Where some tennis players would be sitting in this chair and be like, This is the moment I've been waiting for my entire life. That's okay, too. People are different.

But for me, obviously I'm happy. There's a lot of hard work. There's a lot of things I've had to overcome to get here.

When I go to bed tonight, I just want to just be Nick Kyrgios, be normal.

Q. Fascinating story with your mum in the paper yesterday, how she can't watch your matches, she waits for the text messages to come through. Do you get to break the news to her? You obviously have a great dialogue with your mom.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, obviously my mum's health has been a bit rocky. It's been pretty bad for a while now. Obviously she's not able to kind of come to these -- she's not allowed to travel that much. Even Australian Open, she won't come to my matches because she's got, like, a pacemaker and stuff, it's too stressful, and all that type of stuff.

Yeah, I mean, I try and talk to her. She'll wake up in the morning, say, I just saw the live scores. It looks like you had a tough match. I'm just like, You have no idea. Obviously.

I'm just glad she's able to kind of keep an eye on me from home. Obviously it would be amazing for her to be here. But she's obviously dealing with a lot of things. She has to make sure my dogs are fed at home as well. My brother just had a kid five days ago, George. It's been a pretty eventful couple days for Mr. Kyrgios.

So, yeah, hopefully mum is watching this and she's proud.