Kyrgios says his absence is “brutal” but didn’t miss tennis

Australian whirlwind Nick Kyrgios is blasting his way back to Wimbledon, where he reached the final in 2022, and admits his injury-plagued absence from tennis has been “brutal”.

The 28-year-old Firebrand has played just one game in 2023 – in Stuttgart last month – after undergoing knee surgery.

It was the worst possible preparation for his return to the All England Club 12 months after losing the final to Novak Djokovic.

“It’s been brutal, it’s been tough,” Kyrgios said on Sunday.

However, he added: “I don’t miss the sport. I was almost afraid to go back, but it’s my job.”

At Wimbledon in 2022, the Australian dominated most of the headlines.

His high-octane, flamboyant shooting was accompanied by characteristic clashes with rivals and officials.

He was fined $10,000 for spitting and $4,000 for shouting obscenities – one of which sent British tabloids into meltdown because it was within earshot of eight-year-old Prince George.

Kyrgios also struggled in an explosive third-round clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas, with the Greek even describing him as “evil” and a “bully”.

In the final against Djokovic, he called for a woman to be ejected from the crowd because she had consumed “700 drinks, bro”.

“It was kind of good to be home. Obviously heartbreaking as well,” Kyrgios said, reflecting on his time away from the sport.

“Last year I felt like everything fell into place. Wimbledon finals. Barely a match. Had third best season on tour.

“Apparently my body was just crying out for some kind of rest.”

For Kyrgios, being away from the tennis courts did not mean the absence of the public.

– The “rabbit hole” of social media –

In May, his car was stolen from his mother at gunpoint outside the family home in Canberra.

Prior to this incident, Kyrgios pleaded guilty in February to assaulting an ex-girlfriend.

He avoided conviction for what the judge called “one piece of stupidity”.

Kyrgios has also been the star of the Netflix series ‘Break Point’, where he spoke openly about his mental health.

He admitted that he considered suicide and ended up in a psychiatric ward in 2019.

“It took me seven, eight years before I was able to open up about it,” he explained on Sunday.

“I feel great now. It’s hard because I put so many expectations on myself. Compared to that time, I feel so much better.”

Kyrgios says his mental well-being has been helped by reducing the amount of time he spends on social media, describing it as a “rabbit hole”.

“It’s terrible what athletes have to deal with. I don’t think it’s normal at all, how much criticism, how much negativity, how much inquiry people have to deal with now. It’s out of control.”

Although Kyrgios claims he didn’t miss tennis, he has been impressed by the influence of world number one Carlos Alcaraz.

“What Alcaraz has been able to put together in such a short amount of time is nuts. He has such discipline and just loves the sport.

“He’s fun to watch. He’s got so much discipline, but he’s also got that showman thing about him that I like.

“He loves to make people sing his name, which is pretty cool.”

Kyrgios begins his Wimbledon campaign on Monday against former top 10 player David Goffin, who has reached the quarter-finals in his last two visits.

He admits there are still “question marks” over his ability to play a best-of-five set after such a long absence.

“I feel like people don’t understand the outside world. Just because it’s not contact, it’s not as physical.

“I dare anyone to go out and play four hours with Novak and see how you feel afterwards.”

dj/fri