"We know we're the better tennis players at the end of the day" - Nick Kyrgios exudes confidence despite losing ATP Finals doubles opener

Nick Kyrgios, who failed to qualify for the singles event at the 2022 ATP Finals, began his doubles campaign alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis on Monday.

The Australian duo lost their way after taking the opening set against the British-Dutch pair of Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhoff, going down 6-7 (3) 6-4 10-5.

The Wimbledon finalist, who was in Mexico to play an exhibition game before arriving in Turin for the ATP Finals, stated in his post-match press conference that he and Kokkinakis had every chance of winning.

Nick Kyrgios revealed that he "felt alright" while asserting that he and his doubles partner did not need elaborate preparations ahead of the tournament. He described himself and his partner as "outliers of every other doubles player," who prioritized singles and added that they were the "better tennis players at the end of the day."

"I think we had every opportunity to win this match today. Me and Thanasi are probably the outliers of every other doubles players here," said the former World No.13. "We like to prioritize singles and we know we're the better tennis players at the end of the day. We don't need to have weeks of, preparation honestly, for doubles. Honestly, my preparation wasn't ideal. But I still felt all right today. We could have won today."

The Australian, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon finals, disclosed that he would be heading home if he didn't progress beyond the group stages.

"If we progress through the group, I'll stay, because that's what happens when you win the group, you go forward and stay a day," revealed the Aussie. "If we don't progress, I'll probably go home, yeah."