Australian Nick Kyrgios believes in his chances ahead of a Wimbledon final showdown with three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic.
London, Great Britain, 10 July 2022 | Leigh Rogers
Nick Kyrgios is set to contest his first Grand Slam singles final today, facing top seed Novak Djokovic in a highly anticipated Wimbledon showdown.
“I never thought I’d be here at all, to be brutally honest,” Kyrgios revealed.
“It’s exciting to say that I have a chance to play for a Grand Slam singles title after everything. It’s pretty cool.”
The 27-year-old Australian describes the opportunity to play for the Wimbledon title as “the pinnacle of tennis”.
“I’m just super proud and I’m just ready to go,” Kyrgios said. “I’m going to give it my all and we’ll see what happens.”
| Nick Kyrgios v Novak Djokovic By the numbers |
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| KYRGIOS | DJOKOVIC | |
| Age | 27 | 35 |
| Ranking | 40 | 3 |
| Grand Slam main draw appearances | 30 | 68 |
| Grand Slam win-loss record | 50-29 | 333-47 |
| Wimbledon main draw appearances | 8 | 17 |
| Wimbledon win-loss record | 20-7 | 85-10 |
| 2022 win-loss record | 21-6 | 22-5 |
| 2022 grass win-loss record | 12-2 | 6-0 |
| Career singles titles | 6 | 87 |
| Career Grand Slam singles titles | 0 | 20 |
As Djokovic prepares to contest a record 32nd Grand Slam final, he is not surprised to be facing first-time finalist Kyrgios.
“We always know how dangerous he is, on grass particularly, because of his game, because of his attitude on the court being so confident, just going for it, being a very complete player,” Djokovic said of his Australian opponent.
“It seems like mentally he’s at a better state than what he was, where he was, some years ago. Of course as time passes by, you’re maturing, you’re understanding yourself what you need to do in order to get yourself to the best possible, optimal state of mind, body, and soul in order to perform your best.
“These are the occasions where he loves, where he thrives, in a big stage. So in a way it’s also not a surprise for me that he’s there. Honestly, as a tennis fan, I’m glad that he’s in the finals because he’s got so much talent.
“For the quality player that he is, this is where he needs to be, and he deserves to be.”
Djokovic is yet to beat Kyrgios, losing their only two previous encounters in 2017.
“I haven’t practiced with him or played with him since the last time I lost to him,” Djokovic revealed.
“I guess it’s going to be a game of small margins. I…
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