Nick Kyrgios has not played tennis since the Australian Open and despite being scheduled to play some grass prep events he pulled out due to a neck injury. He arrived in London in high spirits and believes he can do damage. He said:
“I feel decent after not playing a match in however long. That time at home was amazing. I felt that Wimbledon is an event that I never take for granted if I can play it. I can’t expect myself to play my best tennis as I did a couple years ago. So I’m not putting too much pressure of expectation on myself. Generally, I feel really good.”
Kyrgios reflected on his 1st round matchup vs Ugo Humbert who is a tricky player to beat especially on fast surfaces. He said:
“Ugo has been playing some incredible tennis. I played a lot of players and I’m tactically switched on, and he’s got the game to do some special things in this sport. He is a very good grass-court player – He’s got a very good serve, very good backhand for a lefty and good volley. It’s going to be tough. I feel that I can beat 50% of the draw on grass without much preparation"
Kyrgios wrapped up the interview by commenting on the fact he is one of the best-known players on the tour:
“It’s ironic. At the start of my career, it was like I was a disgrace to the game. All this kind of bulls***. Now it’s like every time I touch a court it’s fully packed and I’m always on the tennis social media."