Tennis-Kyrgios braces for strain as residence favorite at Australian Open

With Ash Barty having fun with a snug retirement, Nick Kyrgios can be far and away the highest drawcard for residence followers on the Australian Open, feeling each privilege and strain to satisfy expectations after his greatest season in 2022.

After an underwhelming profession on the Grand Slams, the fiery Canberra native made the ultimate at Wimbledon final 12 months and the U.S. Open quarter-finals to win over detractors who had labelled him a wasted expertise.

Barty ended Australia’s lengthy watch for a house champion at Melbourne Park final 12 months by successful the ladies’s title however locals will hope Kyrgios can lastly declare a maiden Grand Slam crown and finish the 47-year drought for a house males’s winner.

Having typically left some followers chilly together with his on-court histrionics, Kyrgios mentioned it was now a privilege to really feel Australia needed him to win and be one of many favourites.

“I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wild card. Now to see how my career has unfolded, to get to a point where everyone kind of expects me to win and go far, it’s a good feeling,” the 27-year-old advised reporters at Melbourne Park on Saturday.

“But there’s plenty of stress, as properly. I see it all over the place, on social media, everybody speaking about it. ‘How are you feeling about Australian Open? You’re one of many favourites.’

Nick Kyrgios, of Australia, serves to Benjamin Bonzi, of France, throughout the second spherical of the US Open tennis championships, Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

“It’s hard to kind of just focus on what I need to do.”

Though having not accomplished a tour match since October, Kyrgios has nonetheless managed to hog the limelight within the leadup to Melbourne Park.

He was a last-minute withdrawal from Australia’s group for the United Cup, sparking a confrontation with co-captain Lleyton Hewitt.

He was entrance and centre on Friday night time as he performed a observe match with Novak Djokovic, the person who beat him for the Wimbledon title, in entrance of a packed home at Rod Laver Arena.

Kyrgios and Djokovic as soon as had a frosty relationship after the Australian criticised the Serb for internet hosting the disastrous Adria Tour in 2020, the place high gamers partied with out social distancing and ended up contracting COVID-19.

But the pair have turn out to be a lot nearer since Kyrgios defended Djokovic throughout his deportation ordeal within the run-up to final 12 months’s Australian Open.

“I went against my words and stood up for him in front of my country. That wasn’t easy for me, either,” mentioned Kyrgios.

“I handled plenty of criticism. But clearly he appreciated that.

“It’s kind of gone from a rough sort of place to now we’re helping each other out on the biggest stage. We’re just great competitors.”