"I go out there and play. Life is good" says an upbeat Kyrgios after win in Indian Wells

Nick Kyrgios kicked off his BNP Paribas Open campaign with an impressive win over Sebastian Baez and admitted afterwards that he is now “comfortable in his own skin”.

After missing several months of action over the past two years due to Covid-19 and injury, Kyrgios is settling to life on Tour again and he is enjoying himself. The Australian rolled past Argentine qualifier Baez, winning 6-4, 6-0 in one hour and 12 minutes.

Speaking after the match, Kyrgios said:

“I’m just excited to be back at this tournament. It has been a couple years because of the (coronavirus) pandemic and taking time off to get my mind and body right,” he said after missing the 2021 edition that was pushed back to September. My body feels as good as it has ever felt. I feel like I’m moving and playing really well. It’s good to be back.”

The 2022 season has been a brilliant one so far for Kyrgios as he won the Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. Asked about his mindset, Kyrgio said:

“I was really struggling. I wasn’t happy. The tennis world wanted me to be a certain player, and I was trying to be something that I wasn’t for so many years. It put me in a dark place. I was letting people down, I fell out with my family. It was tough. One day I looked in the mirror and said that this isn’t the type of person that I’m trying to be. And now I’m a completely different person. I’m comfortable in my own skin, I’m not trying to please anyone. I’m not trying to be anyone else."

He finished off with:

“I’m Nick Kyrgios and I just go out there and play and have fun and if I win, I win and if I lose, I lose. Life is good.”