US OPEN

August 30, 2022

Nick Kyrgios

Press Conference

N. KYRGIOS/T. Kokkinakis

6-3, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Could you just talk us through your first round win, how you thought you played.

NICK KYRGIOS: Probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I've played in my career. I feel like we both had a game plan. We know our games so well. From the get-go, I was trying to block out his body and just play the tennis ball. I was really trying not to look at him at all. I felt like that kind of helped me.

In the first couple sets I played incredible from the back of the court. I had a real clear game plan of trying to move him as much as I could, not let him dictate. When the ball is on his racquet, he's dictating play, he's probably one of the best players in the world. I didn't want to be on the receiving end of that forehand tonight.

I served pretty good. Pretty average first-serve percentage for me, high 60s. I just returned. My intent from the back of the court was really elite today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Have you ever felt like that playing anybody else? You were saying you were trying not to look at him. Can you explain how difficult that was.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I feel like there's probably two players, two or three players, that after tennis I'm probably going to stay in contact with till I probably die, to be honest. Thanasi is one of them.

It's just really hard. I was telling some people I feel like he had a really good opportunity, the way his body is, the way he's holding up physically, his belief to play match after match. I thought he had an opportunity to go far in the draw.

When I saw our names, it's unfortunate. The way I'm playing, the goals I have, I felt like I had a good opportunity in this tournament. When I saw his name, a mixture of emotions.

Look, it is what it is. I felt I dealt with it pretty professionally. The first couple sets were pretty much flawless from me. Never easy. Obviously 'Game Kokkinakis', it's like a reminder every time you're playing a game. It's not easy.

Q. You were playing after Serena. How did that play out for you? So much hype. What was it like stepping on the court?

NICK KYRGIOS: I feel like knowing the draw three or four days before actually going out there actually helped a lot. Initially when you see the draw, you have this rush of emotion. You don't really know how to deal with it. Then you have, like, four days to find your feet, knowing who you're playing.

Schedule came out. I saw that I was following Serena, two days before I'm playing. I'm kind of thinking, this is probably going to be the biggest match not of her career, but the US Open is probably not going to have a bigger match. To follow that, it's a special opportunity.

To play one of my probably best friends after Serena's possible last match, with a record-breaking attendance, it's insane. A night I'm never going to forget. My 200th win as well. A couple accolades today. It was good.

I'd rather play after Serena, because the crowd was amazing still, the atmosphere was electric. It was fun.

Q. You used the word 'professional' before. Maybe because you were focused, you seemed focused and efficient on your serve. Were you trying to be efficient?

NICK KYRGIOS: Look, the key against Thanasi from my game in particular is I need to make plenty of first serves, just try to dictate whenever possible. Literally whenever I can change direction, I have to change direction. I can't ever let him feel like he's settled from the back of the court.

The way I've been serving, I've been serving really well, 215, 220 easily for the last six months. Today I took a bit off it when I needed to, tried to spread the court when I could.

Look, I'm always trying to be efficient on my serve. I feel like the way I'm returning I'm able to put a lot of pressure on people's service games. I thought I executed my service games really well today. I had three break points in the first set. If I took one of those, the match is a lot quicker than the tiebreak.

We all know how tiebreaks go, can swing either way. He gets that momentum, who knows, we could still be out there battling right now. I was really thankful to get that tiebreak, let me tell you.

Q. You talked about being exhausted before the beginning. Do you feel any differently today? Is it just a culmination or do you have fresh energy from the win today?

NICK KYRGIOS: No, I'm exhausted. 99% of the tennis tour doesn't understand what it's like to go on the road this long. I'm not even doing it that long than other Australians. There are other Australians that have been on the road five, six months. I'm closing in on four months.

It's brutal. There's babies being born in my family, mum is sick, dad is not well. I have to continue to travel. Because we're from Australia, we don't have any choice.

Obviously I'm exhausted. But I have no choice but to wake up and try and put in my best performance today. I'm not complaining. I'm just saying, like, it's hard. It is hard because people don't understand everything that I've got going on at the moment.

I'm really proud of my performance. The maturity to just put all that aside. Yeah, I miss home a lot. So does my girlfriend. She misses her family. Newborn baby in that family, too. We have to continue to travel and play because we don't have the luxury of going home every week if we want to.

Just another challenge that I have to deal with. Last stop here before home, so... Let's see what we can do here.

Q. At the end when you embraced, what was that feeling like? A sense of relief? Thank goodness it's over?

NICK KYRGIOS: Definitely. He just said, Too good. Our lockers are next to each other in the changing room. I walked over to Thanasi and said, Look, that was the most uncomfortable I've ever felt on a tennis court.

Just doesn't feel right. Really doesn't. We've shared so many moments together on a tennis course, doubles court.

It's the respect we have with each other. We've been through some things together when I was really struggling. He was always supportive. I roomed with him. He always cared. He's just seen me grow up and I've seen him grow up. I've seen him be resilient through all his injuries. To see him performing on the biggest stage, I'm proud of him as well.

We just have respect off the court which trumps everything on the court. But it was really uncomfortable. I don't want to do that again, to be honest.