When Rafael Nadal pulled out of the Wimbledon semi-final, allowing Nick Kyrgios to go through by default, many questioned if the young Aussie star was a worthy opponent for Novak Djokovic in the final. Of course, Kyrgios seemed to silence them all with his lightning-fast serves, powerful forehands and the kind of grit and determination we’ve all come to expect of him. But if anyone else had their doubts, the Aussie is only continuing to prove them wrong as he asserts his dominance on the court.
Continuing his incredible form of late, Kyrgios triumphed in Montreal over world No 1 Daniil Medvedev in three sets. The Wimbledon runner-up was victorious in a match that saw him win 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-2. Though Kyrgios admittedly lost his temper in the opening set tiebreaker, he turned the match around. It marks Kyrgios’s third victory over Medvedev from four meetings in total. And for those who are looking forward to the US Open, Kyrgios’s latest victory also marks his 14th win from past 15 matches and second ever over a world No 1 after first conquering Nadal on his Wimbledon debut as a young teen.
Speaking about the match and his current form, Kyrgios said: “I’ve had some success against him in the past and he’s beaten me before so I feel like we know each others’ games well. I’m not the type of player who goes into these matches looking at rankings or anything like that.”
He added, “It’s just who I’m playing and what kind of ball they’re giving me and today I had a very clean objective of how I was going to play – a lot of serve and volley, a lot of aggressive play from the back – and I executed better than he did on the day. That’s all it came down to. He won the first set and I feel like I had opportunities there as well so hopefully I can keep this rolling.”
Kyrgios will now face Australia’s own Alex de Minaur for a spot in the quarter-final. But while conversation has now turned to the US Open with many quick to label Kyrgios as a favourite going into the tournament, the Aussie has been quick to dismiss such conversations. “Look, a grand slam is much, much different to any other tournament,” he said.
“If I was in this position of a grand slam, you’ve still got to win another set and that’s not easy at all. He’s a machine. He’s the best player in the world for a reason and at a grand slam he’s a totally different beast.”
nick kyrgios
Seeding for the New York grand slam will start on 29 August, and while Nick Kyrgios is only focused on the match he has ahead of him, it does present an exciting opportunity for the young star. “Look, I feel confident in my body and my mentality going into the US Open but at the same time there’s so much between then and now.”
He added, “I’ve got to focus on this event and then Cincinnati. There’s so many things I’ve got to look forward to. I’m not even going to think about the US Open right now. I need to take care of my body.”
