Playing pain-free tennis for the first time since Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios is refusing to place a limit on how far he can go at next month’s Australian Open.
The teenage ace says he’s ready to carry the hopes of a nation as he looks to kick on from his spectacular 2014 season with a hot run at the Open.
Feeling physically stronger and mentally tougher after mixing daily four-hour on-court sessions with cross training and basketball, Kyrgios believes there’s no reason why he can’t go deep into the year’s first grand slam.
“I’m not going to put a round on it or say where I think I can get to, but I definitely think I can make an impact at the Australian Open,” Kyrgios told AAP after joining forces with Malaysian Airlines on Monday.
“If I’m playing my game and I’m serving well, and playing aggressive, there’s a good chance that I can do really well.”
Struggling with a left-arm injury, as well as a sore right elbow, Kyrgios called a premature end to his first full season in the professional ranks in October before teaming with Lleyton Hewitt in the inaugural non-sanctioned Indian league.
As well as “learning a lot” from the likes of Hewitt and grand slam veteran Tomas Berdych during the ITPL, the Wimbledon quarter-finalist said he played without pain for the first time in months.
“I’m hitting normal again, back to 100 per cent with both of my arms,” he said.
“I was always battling some sort of injury throughout the year. I always had a bit of a niggle.
“But I think that’s normal transitioning into the senior game.
“But I feel a lot stronger than I was a year ago and that’s given me a lot more confidence in my game.
“Making a run at Wimbledon has also given me confidence with my body and how it pulls up. I know I can go the distance now.”
Kyrgios will launch his summer at the Hopman Cup in Perth from January 4 before completing his Open preparations at the Sydney International the following week.
The charismatic youngster knows it’s impossible to escape the spotlight after this year’s heroics, so he’s running with it.
“I’ve sort of come to the conclusion that I can’t avoid it now, so I just have to embrace it,” Kyrgios said.
“You can block it out as much as you can, but it’s hard with all the social media as well.
“So it just comes with the territory and there’s a lot of players now, up and comers, so it’s good that I can share that pressure as well.”
Ranked 52nd in the world, Kyrgios’s big goal early in 2015 is to crack the top 32 to secure a seeding for the year’s remaining three grand slam events.
Before his march to the last eight at the All England, Kyrgios felt clay may have been his best surface.
“Now it’s grass,” he said. “But I think I can challenge on all surfaces.”
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Former Wimbledon champion, double grand slam winner and Australian Open finalist Garbine Muguruza has announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 30.…
Rafael Nadal has hailed the brilliance of Alex de Minaur, calling him "a great player" after the Australian forced the Spanish legend to say…
The clay season promises to be one of high level and tight margins. With the Monte Carlo open just around the corner, it will…
In incredible scenes, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's quarter-final clash with Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells was halted abruptly due to a "bee invasion." Less…
Marathon man Jordan Thompson has finally clinched his first ATP Tour title, with the Australian upsetting Norwegian Casper Ruud to lift the trophy in…
Alex de Minaur has earned the perfect 25th birthday present, booking a place in the final of the Rotterdam Open with an emphatic revenge…
