‘Heartbreaking’ – Nick Kyrgios on the match that ‘really, really hurt’, says ‘I can win a Grand Slam’

Nick Kyrgios has reflected on the match this season that “really, really hurt” when he suffered a shock defeat to Karen Khachanov at the US Open.

“I thought the US Open was a great chance – obviously, that one really, really hurt because I definitely thought that I was the favourite after I beat [Daniil] Medvedev,” he said.

More positively, the world No. 20 believes that the result has “added a bit of fuel” to his motivation ahead of his home Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January where he will be expected to make another strong run at singles glory.

“Now I just have to wait until the Australian Open but I just want to keep my form, the way I’m playing, I want to keep that going,” he said.

“I’m doing all the right things so I definitely think I can win a Grand Slam, for sure.

“For a couple of years, I didn’t even get past the third round – I wasn’t training hard enough, I probably wasn’t taking the sport seriously enough.

“Now, the last year and a half I’ve been training really, really hard.

“Grand Slams are all you really get remembered by. You can’t just rock up to a Grand Slam and expect to win it.

“You have got to put the building blocks in and the foundations in place. I’m super excited to be here, that’s for sure.”

Asked about his court hearing on Tuesday in Australia for alleged common assault when he will have his case heard at a magistrates’ court in Canberra, on the same day he is scheduled to play in Tokyo, he said he had to focus on what he can control in Tokyo.

“There’s only so much I can control and I’m taking all the steps and dealing with that off the court,” he said.

“I can only do what I can and I’m here in Tokyo and just trying to play some good tennis, continue that momentum and just try to do my job – and that’s play tennis, play it well. That’s it.”

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