ATP Finals, Nick Kyrgios surprises everyone

Nick Kyrgios surprises everyone

Nick Kyrgios spoke at a press conference after the loss he suffered when paired with Thanasi Kokkinakis at the hands of Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, who overcame the Australians in a comeback 6-7 6-4 10-5 in the first round of the group stage of the ATP Finals.

The talent from Canberra commented on the defeat this way, “They were incredible, they beat us playing at a different level of tennis. We are nowhere near that level. I think we had an opportunity to win this match. Thanasi and I are an anomalous pair compared to others. We give priority to singles. We don’t need to prepare for doubles. My preparation has not been ideal, honestly. But today I felt positive feelings, we could have won.”

So the Greek-born tennis player surprised everyone a bit: “The schedule is brutal for Australians. We have to make 56-hour trips to each tournament. We only spend two months of the year in Australia; the other six. My energy levels are pretty low. I wouldn’t mind moving on, but I’m looking forward to going home.”

“Thanasi and I never imagined we would find ourselves here to play the Finals in doubles. We always thought we could do well together, but not play such a continuous year from a results standpoint. We haven’t even played many tournaments. The time we spend away from home, trying to play both singles and doubles in many events, all the work of the physical therapists… These are all things that are underestimated. People don’t understand how difficult it is. If Thanasi had not been there, I would not have participated in the tournament,” Kyrgios concluded.