Nick Kyrgios suffered a shock defeat to Karen Khachanov at the US Open with his open draw not coming to fruition as he lost out 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4 to an inspired performance with Casper Ruud next up now for Khachanov.
As expected, Kyrgios was devastated with his frustrations boiling over on smashing two racquets post match and those sentiments were present during his post match interview.
"Yeah, I just came out flat," he said in his post-match press conference. "Physically, I didn't feel great. Then I ended up feeling great towards the end of the match.
"I'm obviously devastated, but all credit to Karen. He's a fighter. He's a warrior. I thought he served really good today. Honestly, probably the best server I played in this tournament, to be honest, the way he was hitting his spots under pressure.
"He just played the big points well, really wasn't anything in it. I'm just devastated, obviously. I just feel like it was either winning it all or nothing at all, to be honest. I feel like I've just failed at this event right now. That's what it feels like.
"Honestly, I don't even really care about any other tournament. I feel like at the Grand Slams, now having success at a Grand Slam, it's just like no other tournament really matters.
"It's like you get better, you get worse, then at a Grand Slam none of it matters. You either win or lose. People don't really care if you got better on the day or you lost in the fifth or played one of the best matches of the tournament. You lost, so...
"I honestly feel like s***. I feel like I've let so many people down. I just don't know. I feel like I'm playing Tokyo and stuff. But I feel like these four [major] tournaments are the only ones that are ever going to matter. It's just like you have got to start it all again. I have to wait till the Australian Open.
"It's just devastating. Like, it's heart-breaking. Not just for me, but for everyone that I know that wants me to win. That's all people remember at a Grand Slam, whether you win or you lose. I think pretty much every other tournament during the year is a waste of time, really. You should just run up and show up at a Grand Slam. That's what you're remembered by."
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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