Nick Kyrgios insists he received’t be underdone for his Australian Open assault regardless of his match apply being restricted to a playful exhibition with Novak Djokovic.
Kyrgios and Serbia’s nine-time Open champion turned out for a energetic fundraiser on Friday evening in entrance of a full home at Rod Laver Arena, which was the Australian’s first match of the yr as a result of ankle and knee accidents.
He withdrew from the United Cup and the Adelaide International as a result of accidents and hasn’t performed a tour match since early October.
But the highest native hope stated he wasn’t involved about his lack of court docket time heading into spherical one, the place he’ll face Russian world No.98 Roman Safiullin.
“I have always been a player that doesn’t need too many matches,” world No.21 Kyrgios informed reporters on Saturday.
“I played 12 to 13 events last year which felt like that was a lot of tennis.
“Obviously there are players that need a lot of matches going into a grand slam but me, I just like to feel fresh, I like to feel like I’ve got everything under control.”
Fuelled by his cost to the 2022 Wimbledon last, the place he was overwhelmed by Djokovic, and his quarter-final run on the US Open, Kyrgios has earnt the tag of an Open favorite.
Ash Barty ended Australia’s lengthy look forward to a house champion at Melbourne Park final yr by taking the ladies’s title however no Australian man has received since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
Doubles champion with Thanasi Kokkinakis final yr, Kyrgios is aiming to trump his earlier finest singles end in Melbourne, which got here again in 2015 when he made the final eight.
While his antics have left some followers chilly, Kyrgios felt it was a “privilege” to be the Australian favorite and was embracing the strain, in addition to help, from taking part in in his house slam.
“Everyone wants to get to a position in their sport or their profession to be one of the best and have that expectation and pressure,” he stated.
“It’s a privilege to go out there and feel that Australia wants me to win and to be one of the favourites – it’s a good feeling.
“I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wildcard and now to see how my career has unfolded, to get to a point where everyone kind of expects me to win and go far, it’s a good feeling.
“But there’s a lot of stress, as well. I see it everywhere, on social media, everyone talking about it – ‘How are you feeling about Australian Open? You’re one of the favourites’.
“It’s hard to kind of just focus on what I need to do.”
Despite his lack of on-court presence Kyrgios has been everywhere in the media this week however stated he discovered occasions just like the fundraiser rewarding.
“I look at the fact I’m able to raise a quarter of a million dollars for charity and make Novak feel right at home at the slam where he’s had the most success,” he stated.
“I have this platform now where I’m able to inspire the youth, do great things with it so it’s not really taxing for me personally.
“I’ll never slow down with that sort of stuff. That’s why I got to the position I’m in.”
