"I thought I'd never play tennis again": Nick Kyrgios 'puts more petrol' in the tank with Miami Open landmark win amid retirement fears
ATP
Nick Kyrgios sealed his first win in two years to revive his comeback hopes as he saw off Mackenzie McDonald in three 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. But on his return to Miami, he admitted that he came close to not playing again.
Kyrgios had started a new life as a commentator and looked unlikely to make a return to tennis after wrist surgery. But it is nights like these where he was favourite against an American on home soil that he said puts petrol in the tank to keep going.
It is his first win since October 2022 and he cried on court only one week ago at Indian Wells. He also hit the headlines this week for his role in the PTPA lawsuit.
“I thought I’d never play tennis again, to be brutally honest with you. That was going that way. I’ve had conversations with my camp and my team, guys who are leaving their families to be here with me.. I was like look, I don’t know how long I can keep doing this for. This puts a bit more petrol in the tank.. but I’ve got to be realistic. I’ll see how my wrist pulls up tomorrow. It is a grind out here," said Kyrgios on court.
He also opened up on the sheer difficulty of even returning from the changing ball speed to even getting to the starting line of a match. Next up is Karen Khachanov for the popular Aussie.
“It’s tough. Honestly I saw the draw and I didn’t feel confident about facing anyone to be honest. The way my wrist has pulled up the last 6 months hasn’t been great. But I guess having one win against Mackie.. I had something to draw from experience. He’s such a good player. He’s so tricky. It definitely caught me off guard. I wasn’t used to that ball speed again. It’s been a long journey, even to just get to the start line of matches and be scared to be able to finish them.. but to come off and get a win and feel like I belong again feels pretty special.”
Match Statistics McDonald vs. Kyrgios
| McDonald | VS | Kyrgios |
|---|---|---|
| Service | ||
| 6 | Aces | 13 |
| 1 | Double Faults | 3 |
| 71% (60/84) | 1st Service Percentage | 79% (59/75) |
| 65% (39/60) | 1st Service Points Won | 78% (46/59) |
| 54% (13/24) | 2nd Service Points Won | 41% (7/17) |
| 57% (4/7) | Break Points Saved | 33% (1/3) |
| 79% (11/14) | Service Games | 86% (12/14) |
| Return | ||
| 22% (13/59) | 1st Return Points Won | 35% (21/60) |
| 59% (10/17) | 2nd Return Points Won | 46% (11/24) |
| - | Break Points Saved | - |
| Other | ||
| 1h 45m | Match Duration | 1h 45m |
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