Mount St. Nick is almost always in danger of erupting, regardless of the circumstances.Take a look at last month’s Citi Open in Washington DC
Nick Kyrgios was playing his first match since reaching his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon a few weeks ago. On the first point against the all-time dominating American Marcos Giron, he tried to hit a shot from between his legs but missed, but it was fun enough.
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But a few games later, after the proceedings were still on serve and Giron hit a nice but harmless winner in the line-up and briefly returned to deuce, the Australian collected the ball and turned to the crowd. , launched so far Outside the stadium, we could have landed in Baltimore.
Previously, Kyrgios would almost certainly have exploded and imploded. But at match point, Kyrgios went up to the fan, asked the lady where to serve, and beat Giron in less than an hour before finally winning the tournament without a break. was the 27-year-old’s first of the year, and the performance was perhaps a harbinger of the next two weeks at the US Open.
Welcome to the Nick Kyrgios Show. We are having our best season right now.
Kyrgios has won more titles, three in 2016 and two in 2019. Last months on a deserted island.
“I think I had a very bad experience. There was a lot going on around this time last year, so I couldn’t have a good time on the tennis court,” Kyrgios told The Post.
You don’t even have to go back there for some bad things.
In July, Kyrgios was charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend during an incident at the All England Club last December. If convicted, he faces up to his two years in prison.
In May, Kyrgios opened up about his mental health struggles, especially early in his career. Dark days included drugs, alcohol and suicidal thoughts.
A few months after that revelation, Kyrgios’ brother, Christos, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the carefree and charming child he had grown up with was “almost gone” and “would be a prisoner of his own body.” ” And the two stopped talking for a while.
There was a time when he certainly threw a match. There have been countless court rants and tantrums, full of abuse, over the months and years.
The most recent blowout came at the Wimbledon final. After taking the first set against Novak Djokovic with composure and coolness, Kyrgios melted away in epic but typical fashion.
At the time, he blamed his box, pointing out a woman who allegedly called out to him during his serve, labeling her “drunk” and stating that she had “drank about 700 drinks”. Early on, Kyrgios also spat at a fan and was fined $10,000.)
Djokovic, of course, won the 21st major of his career and the second in history. And the woman Kyrgios temporarily dumped, Polish medical lawyer Ania Pars, is now being sued for defamation.
However, at least recently, something seems to suit the usually unaccountable and uncontrolled Kyrgios.
On court, his fitness and practice habits have improved, and he is said to be more focused. The eruption of Mount St. Nick is also somewhat simmering.
Off the court, he’s come to realize that he’s 27 and chances are rare in front of him — no Djokovic, no Roger Federer at Flushing Meadows, no Rafael Nadal on his stomach. suffered lacerations. Now is the time to win the Slam.
Kyrgios also credits his current girlfriend, Costine Hatzi, with adding calmness, balance and support.
“I think the only thing that will definitely help is to have some peace in your life,” Kyrgios said in Washington. They’re not worried about anything, their job is just to go out and focus on the tennis court, fight hard and produce tennis.”
Kyrgios’ actions regarding assault charges cannot be excused or denied. If there is even the slightest bit of guilt, he should pay the price. Because while he can move on, the victim doesn’t get that luxury.
When it comes to tennis, it’s a good idea for Kyrgios to focus on that.
In 11 tournaments this year, he’s 31-9. This includes pushing Nadal into his three sets at Indian Wells. Straight sets win over Andrei Rublev in Miami. Victories over hated rival Stefanos Tsitsipas in Germany and Wimbledon. A gritty three-set victory over his hometown favorite Frances Tiafoe in DC. Beat Daniil Medvedev in 3 sets in Montreal.
Much of that success can be attributed to Kyrgios’ strong serve — he ranks third on the tour in terms of aces this season and fourth in first-serve points earned — but his The rest of the game likewise improves in consistency and quality.
There may be other signs of maturity, however small.
In DC, out of sight of the cameras, he frequently interacted with fans, especially children.In between games, he toured the city and took pictures with Hatzi. And when it became clear that the singles title was within his reach, he didn’t bail out his doubles partner Jack Sock. He won that title as well, becoming the first player in his 53-year history of the tournament to sweep both, thanks to everyone involved in the event.
“Sometimes I feel like a perfectionist,” Kyrgios told The Post.
“In that Wimbledon final, I feel like I got obsessed with trying to play perfect points every time when it’s totally unrealistic in tennis. I’m going to stop expecting you to play at
“Well, this is a new experience. Some people struggle for six months after winning a Grand Slam final or a Grand Slam, and I don’t feel like I want to be one of those players. I want to ride it and be one of the players who keeps playing well.After the Grand Slam, I don’t want to have a calm match or a down match.The window is small, so I’ll use it.”
He needs to do that now more than ever.
This article first appeared on new york postReproduced with permission.
