TENNIS WIMBLEDON 2014 – 1st of July. N. Kyrgios d. R. Nadal 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-3. An interview with Nick Kyrgios
Q. You were cocky, cheeky today. How are you feeling today?
NICK KYRGIOS: I’m pretty happy. That’s the biggest win of my career obviously, and that’s something I’m never going to forget. I’m going to draw so much confidence out of that no matter where I play now. To have that under my belt, it’s massive.
Q. How would you describe what you were able to do? How were you able to win?
NICK KYRGIOS: You know, I think I had to play a solid game that gave me the best shot. That’s serving big and playing aggressive. I thought today my serve was something that got me over the line. It made me, you know, be able to put pressure on his serve as well.
I think that was very important.
Q. What were your emotions when you wrapped this up?
NICK KYRGIOS: It still hasn’t sunk in yet. I was just overwhelmed with every feeling out there. I turned to my whole box, you know, just shared that moment with them. It still hasn’t hit me what I’ve done.
Q. John McEnroe said he thinks you can win the whole tournament. How do you feel about that?
NICK KYRGIOS: You know, I’m just going to stay grounded. I’m just going to go home tonight and do everything possible for my next round tomorrow.
Milos has probably got the best serve in the world. I’m just going to go out there and have fun again.
Q. John McEnroe may think you can win this whole tournament, but from your flash TV interview afterwards, am I right thinking your mum didn’t think you could win it?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, last night I was actually reading a comment that she thought Rafa was too good for me. It actually made me a bit angry. You would think he’s in a whole ‘nother level compared to me. I just believed in myself that I could create some opportunities. I took them under pressure today.
Yeah, I don’t know – yeah.
Q. Have you spoken to your mum yet since you won?
NICK KYRGIOS: No, I haven’t actually.
Q. What will you say when you do?
NICK KYRGIOS: I’ll just text her a smiley face (smiling).
Q. Are you ever a little afraid when you play to hit a second serve 130 miles per hour? Stepanek last year told me you did something unbelievable in a tiebreak.
NICK KYRGIOS: I remember.
Q. Then nine match points with Gasquet. Today again. You just don’t think or what happens?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, definitely I’m scared. Like I just go through my routine and I just play aggressive. You know, if they play too good on that point, then it’s too good.
But I’m going to go after it and give myself the best chance to win the point.
Q. The other day you said that between you and Rafa, you have won an incredible 14 Grand Slams. People were thinking by the end of Wimbledon it would be 15. What do you think of that?
NICK KYRGIOS: You know, I’ve got another chance to go out there tomorrow and get through another round, but I’m not thinking about any of that stuff yet.
It was just a comment for a bit of a laugh. It’s gone pretty much viral. Yeah.
Q. How hard do you think the recovery will be with a match again tomorrow?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it’s going to be a tough ask, but I’m going to do everything possible and see how my body responds tomorrow. If I come up short, I come up short. I’m going to give it my best shot, and whatever happens, happens.
Q. Three years ago it was Bernard Tomic being the big thing. What have you learned from his experience and that experience?
NICK KYRGIOS: I’ve learned a lot. I’m just going to, you know, try hard, you know, just give the people what they want, a bit of a show out there. I’m just going to continue to do that.
Yeah
Q. In Australia everybody was talking about you and Kokkinakis during the Australian Open. Now you are here and we don’t know where Kokkinakis is. Do you think this is strange?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I actually miss Thanasi. He went back home a couple weeks ago during Nottingham. I think he needed some time at home.
He’s extremely talented, if not more than me. He’s going to have a great career. It’s great that we can train together. I miss him a lot.
Q. You spoke about being grounded. Who are the people around you keeping you grounded right at the moment?
NICK KYRGIOS: You know, my coach, my family, my brother, my friends, my agent. They all know in reality I have another match to play tomorrow. Of course I’m going to soak it up tonight, but tomorrow I’m going to give myself the best shot to win.
Q. What struck most people was how fearlessly you played on that stage. How did you acquire such a fearless attitude? Have you always had such an attitude?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think on the big stage, it’s something I thrive on, the atmosphere, the crowd. I just love it when at 5-3, I think it was in the fourth set, they erupted, the crowd. I just love that feeling.
At that stage you just think about all the work you put in. You know if you believe in yourself. Especially with my serve, if I just go after it, hit the right spots, I’m going to have a pretty good shot to close out a match like that today.
Q. There’s been a lot of great Australian champions over the years. It’s your first experience of Centre Court today. Any thoughts of you following in the old guy’s footsteps?
NICK KYRGIOS: I wasn’t thinking of any of that at all when I was out there. Playing Rafael Nadal is a big enough task. You don’t really think about anything else. When I’m serving, he goes through his routine, he touches his nose, all that stuff.
It’s just tough playing him, and that’s all I was thinking about out there: competing and sticking to the game plan.
Q. How happy are you today that you chose tennis in front of basketball?
NICK KYRGIOS: Very.
Q. Can you say a bit more?
NICK KYRGIOS: Best choice of my life. Yeah.
Q. Again and again Rafa just said that you were fearless, you had nothing to lose. Talk about that. Did you feel that way? Did you feel a sense of joy or freedom?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I definitely had nothing to lose out there. My first Wimbledon making fourth round, playing Rafa on Centre Court, I definitely had a sense of even if I get broken here – I was actually thinking about it in the fourth set. If I get broken here, it’s not the end of the world. There’s another set to play.
Even if I end up losing that match – you know, having that sort of pillow to fall on even if I got broken, I think that definitely played a big part, you know, having nothing to lose out there.
Q. How would you compare what you’re feeling now to when three weeks ago you lost in the first round of a challenger to John Patrick Smith?
NICK KYRGIOS: Well, I don’t know. It’s just extraordinary. I’d never think after that match I’d be in the quarters of Wimbledon three weeks later.
It just shows that, you know, my coach has done such a great job. I’m just staying persistent, working hard, and yeah. I’m losing my voice.
Q. That win will take you to 65 in the rankings. How will it feel that you won’t be playing in front of one man and a dog?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I have had a bit of trouble in the past playing those low-end tournaments on the back courts. I really like having a big crowd, having that spark. So, yeah, hearing that is music to my ears.
Q. I know you tennis players only want to think about the next match, but it could be Roger Federer in the semifinals now. He’s your big idol, isn’t he? How would that be?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, that would be extraordinary. If I manage, you know, to pull the win out against Raonic, to play Roger would be a dream, yeah.
