Did Kyrgios turn over a new leaf at Wimbledon?
If you’re a tennis fan then you will undoubtedly have an opinion on Nick Kyrgios. In fact, even if you’re not someone who keeps up-to-date with the goings-on in the tennis world, you will, in all likelihood, have also formed a judgment regarding the Australian given how colourful his character is.
In short, Kyrgios is a man who is incredibly outspoken during his matches. Perhaps it was summed up best by a commentator who was recently calling the action during one of Kyrgios’ games and eventually remarked rather humorously after yet another outburst, that the 27-year-old could start an argument in a phone box. Yes, the world tennis news sites love it when Kyrgios play as he always provides unrivaled entertainment.
The Wimbledon outcast who turned over a new leaf this summer
It was this fiery nature that prevented Kyrgios from being spoken about as one of the favourites in the build-up to the iconic Wimbledon tournament in 2022. Indeed, many believed that the Australian would get knocked out before the tournament got anywhere near its conclusion.
It soon became apparent, however, that the world was seeing a new side to the Australian as the player steadily began to tick off opponent after opponent in SW19. Of course, you can never be too sure with a player like Kyrgios when you take into account who can often let his emotions affects his game.
In this sense, you have to temper expectations even when the 27-year-old looks unbeatable given that he can lose his focus spectacularly. With that said, it did feel like the watching world witnessed a pivotal moment in Kyrgios’ career during the Round of 16 when he beat Brandon Nakashima in a five-set thriller. The incident came when Nakashima leveled up the match in the fourth set to make the match score 2-2. In times gone by, this would have typically been enough for Kyrgios to tank the game by giving up after his opponent managed to wrestle back the initiative. Indeed, when Kyrgios historically loses the momentum during a game at a crucial stage, we invariably see him lose his way.
This time, instead, Kyrgios put his head down and came flying out of the traps to win the final set by a commanding score of 6-2. Ultimately, it was a comprehensive beating in the fifth set and perhaps there’s even an argument to be made about Nakashima himself being unprepared for Kyrgios to put on such a mature display. Either way, those in attendance at Centre Court and the millions more watching from around the world did not anticipate the Australian to produce what he did by rising to the challenge and winning so calmly.
Encouragingly, we would see that same determination again during the final where Kyrgios’ Wimbledon dream would finally come to an end courtesy of seven-time champion Novak Djokovic. Yes, Kyrgios was ultimately outclassed by the Serb but crucially he did not give up. For years, it has felt like this resolve to win and engage in total competitive spirit has been the missing piece of Kyrgios’s game when so often, the outside noise would cause him to dramatically veer off course. With the Aussie seemingly getting a handle on this now, the next logical question is whether he can go one better and win a first Grand Slam?
Could the Aussie win in the Big Apple?
If we were to look ahead to the US Open and focus on what the best bookmaker sites in Australia are predicting for their fellow countryman in terms of success at Flushing Meadows, perhaps you would be left in two minds. At least, this page which has in-depth Australian bookmaker reviews, with a special focus on bet365, tends to promote bookies with odds that make Kyrgios a relative outsider for the US Open. In particular, bet365 have priced the Australian at 50/1 to go all the way in New York. In reality, it feels as if these odds have disregarded the change in attitude that we saw from Kyrgios and in the interest of being objective, perhaps one encouraging Wimbledon showing does not signal a new dawn for the talented Australian.
At this stage, only time will tell if Kyrgios is able to maintain the level of maturity that saw him reach his maiden Grand Slam final, but it does feel as if the Australian is making an effort to address the problems that have been holding him back. Admittedly, the tennis world has waited a long time to see this revival happen but finally, the green shoots were evident on Wimbledon’s hallowed turf.
