Tennis Prose




May/15

6

Biofile Nick Kyrgios Interview

By Scoop Malinowski

Status:  ATP no. 40. Winner of six ATP singles titles, two doubles titles including 2021 Australian Open title (with Thanasi Kokkinakis). Highest singles ranking was no. 13 in 2016.  

Ht: 6-4 Wt: 172

DOB: April 27, 1995 In: Canberra, Australia

Tennis Inspiration: Probably Federer. He’s probably my ultimate idol. And I just think he’s a perfect role model for anyone trying to play tennis. He’s been my idol for a long time now.

First Tennis Memory: When I started, mom (Norlaila) brought me down to the local tennis center. I wasn’t really keen on it at all, to be honest. But that’s how I started playing.

First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: Pat Cash. I played Junior Davis Cup with him when he was a coach. He was probably the first real legend that I met. He’s a great mentor. And he still give me some advice, to this day.

Last Book Read: I’m reading Facing Federer. It’s good.

Racquet You Use: Yonex.

Shoes & Attire: Nike.

Current Car: At the moment I drive a VW Golf (black).

Greatest Sports Moment: Probably has to be playing Davis Cup in my eighteenth year. It’s probably an achievement that not many have done. I think that’s a great achievement. And winning matches at Grand Slams as well is up there.

Most Painful Moment: Probably my loss against Benoit Paire at the Australian Open. I was up two sets to love and a break and I ended up losing. That’s probably the most painful moment so far.

Favorite Tournaments: Probably U.S. Open. That’s my favorite Grand Slam of them all. I just love the atmosphere, the energy, all the celebrities that are around. Just the pace of the crowd is unbelievable.

Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: Definitely basketball.

Three Athletes You Like To Watch And Follow: Lebron James. Federer. And probably my favorite player is Paul Pierce.

Closest ATP Friends: Alex Bolt. He’s another good Australian player we’ve got. I train with him back home in Melbourne.

Funniest Players Encountered: Probably Gael Monfils. In Davis Cup we sort of had a bit of a friendship going on. We were playing a bit of one on one basketball. Playing a lot of games. Just chillin’ out. He’s a funny guy. He’s probably one of the funniest.

Strangest Match: Oh yeah, playing Monfils in Davis Cup. It was a Davis Cup tie, it was a dead rubber but it was kind of strange, I didn’t know whether to take it seriously or have some fun. When I got out there, Monfils was joking out there like nothing else. I thought I’d sort of enjoy the moment out there, an experience that I’m not gonna get all the time. Yeah, that was probably the strangest match because I really didn’t know what to do. But I ended up just having some fun out there.

Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: I just love the atmosphere it brings, you’re out there by yourself competing. If you’re struggling, you’ve got to find a way to overcome that. It’s just a great sport. Traveling around the world. Never been to Sarasota before but it’s one of my favorite places. It’s really nice out here. Just the experiences that come along with tennis, it’s priceless.

Funny Tennis Memory: Davis Cup, we have a little squad of fanatics that come down to any tie. They have some quality chants that they have for every Australian player. That makes me laugh. Even though it’s so serious, when you go out there it does make you chuckle a bit, some of the stuff they say.

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: Nothing too embarrassing. Some tough losses. 

People Qualities Most Admired: I think just nice, caring, loyal people. People that have those qualities I think you get along with them well. It’s good to have them around.

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18 comments

  • JP · May 6, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Good timing Scoop!

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 6, 2015 at 4:12 pm

    Thanks JP. So impressive today by Nick. He had the demeanor all match long that he would win. Well timed Come Ons, a confident swagger and definitely not making the mistake of overly respect Fed. This along with Nick’s big game and serving annoyed Fed, who even sarcastically said during the change of side of the second set tiebreaker, “All we need is a clown for this circus.” Fed just could not pull away from Kygios and had problems with the deuce court wide serve. Nick also impressed with some nifty drop shots, especially one late in the final tiebreak. Kyrgios is going to be a major player and champion, this match is proof.

  • JP · May 6, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    He has a big game, is fearless and loves the big moments against the best players, not a bad combination.

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 6, 2015 at 6:53 pm

    Not to mention, JP, extreme self belief, swag, I’m the man and this is MY court demeanor, plays second banana to no one. Monumental, career changing win today. Kyrgios will win majors. And soon.

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 6, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    Just talked with Mike Tyson’s old mother in law Ruth Roper about Nick, she loves him, said, “He’s so of the times.”

  • Dan Markowitz · May 7, 2015 at 2:14 am

    I just woke up in the middle of the night to this. I have the fed-kyrgios match taped and watched the first set and a half and it looked after Fed took the first breaker that he was going to win big. He broke Kyrgios to take a 2-0 lead and Fed was rolling. Kyrgios had gotten into a big to-do with Lahyani in the chair about a service winner he hit, that was called out by the linesman, and Kyrgios went nuts. He openly sweared–fuck–in Lahyani’s face and Lahyani did issue him a warning. But Kyrgios even after he lost the breaker, kept going after it with Lahyani.

    It took extreme balls. He was doing it right in front of his idol and you could tell by Fed’s “Come on” when he broke Kyrgios that he didn’t like the young one’s behavior. But Krygios had a box full of Aussies, including his big bro and Kokkanaikis in his box, and he kept on firing away at Fed.

    Paul Annacone, the ultimate Fed deifyer (funny, the guy gets fired by Fed which leads to Fed playing much better and Annacone still talks up Fed like there’s no other–come to think of it–there isn’t, but still), kept talking at the end of the first set, about how Kyrgios was letting one point, which he was certainly right about objecting to because he’d won the point only to have it taken back, snowball into adversely effecting him for the next 7 points. But maybe holding onto the ire over losing that one point, actually helped Kyrgios. It kept his fire lit and Kyrgios isn’t your average player. He can play with anger and fire and humor. Clearly, he’s got a personality even as the Annacone’s of the game and Fed (I can’t believe he said that line about the circus) want to see him toe the line.

    This guy to me–and I said it at Indian Wells when he lost that tough three setter in a final set breaker to Dimitrov–transcends the game. He’s like the ole Johnny Mac. You watch him play not only for his artistry, but for what he brings to the court in personality and fire. He’s a live one.

  • Dan Markowitz · May 7, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Fed did not say, “All we need is a clown for this circus.” He said, “We need a clown for this circus.” But the testy remark was not made at Kyrgios so much as at Lahyani, who a point previously, picked the wrong mark giving Kyrgios another serve when his serve was actually out. Kyrgios fired an ace and it loomed large because Fed came back in that 2nd set breaker to make the score 5-6. If Lahyani hadn’t rewarded Nick with another undeserved first serve, Fed might have won that breaker and the match.

    But here’s the thing, with the right player who can handle the emotions, complaining about lines calls, especially on clay where there’s no Challenge System, actually works. Federer, himself, was clearly unnerved by Kyrgios’ brazenness and so was Lahyani. Nick made the big stew initially, and maybe rightly so, and then he toned down his actions and actually gained favor from both Fed and Lahyani, psychologically. Most players would not have objected. They would have not wanted to bother Fed. Kyrgios clearly isn’t one of those players. Good job, mate.

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2015 at 9:26 am

    Annacone simply assumed Fed was going to handle the kid because he had that training block with him and figured him out. Annacone had no conception of the sophisticated mind games Kyrgios was using to frustrate Fed, with the fake meltdown at end of first set, the choice to pass serve to start the match, the come awns, the faked respect. Kyrgios is wise beyond his years. This was a masterful mental and physical performance which like Dan says, bodes well for an extraordinary future. And yes Fed was peeved by Kyrgios, his rather volcanic (by his standards) Come awns, reflected Fed was not pleased with his upstart opponent’s antics. At all. In the end, the fired up Fed was unable to subdue this rising force.

  • Dan Markowitz · May 7, 2015 at 9:57 am

    Yes, good points on Nick’s sophisticated psychological ploys, but Fed showed Kyrgios a lot of respect at the end, giving him a nice pat on the chest at the handshake and a nice Fed smile. He didn’t seem too pissed off.

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 7, 2015 at 12:54 pm

    Of course Fed will always be gracious at the handshake, but what he really thinks about the match and what he publicly says are two different things IMO. Kyrgios definitely got his goat. But Inser got Nick’s goat today.

  • Dan Markowitz · May 7, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    I don’t think Izzie got Kyrigios’s goat. At the end, there didn’t seem to be ill feelings between the two. Kyrgios was understandable beat. He played in the finals last week and took out Fed in three breakers yesterday. Izzie is playing well, but you know his chances of beating Birdie are very slim.

  • Andrew Miller · May 9, 2015 at 9:35 am

    Kyrgios is that good. The future is in good hands – if he doesnt win slams he will raise the game for others to.win and show the young generation what is possible as the big four move from the golden age to the not winning every slam age. We have met the new era of champs and we have excellent tennis to look forward to.

  • Bryan · May 9, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    LOL Kyrgios drives a VW Golf while Tomic’s getting speeding tickets in his Ferrari.

  • Guga Beluga · May 11, 2015 at 10:14 am

    nick definitely has potential…let’s see him climb the ranks…

  • Guga Beluga · May 11, 2015 at 10:15 am

    also, murray’s looking dangerous too….and nadal’s in danger of being deposed at RG this year (for sure ?)

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 10:47 am

    Nick playing doubles with Sock in Rome, could play Tomic in second round of Rome in singles. Now there’s a good match.

  • Guga Beluga · May 11, 2015 at 1:38 pm

    2 aussie young guns going at it….though technically not aussies lol

  • Scoop Malinowski · May 11, 2015 at 8:50 pm

    Tomic is Croatian descent and Nick is Malaysian and Greek, for those who did not know.

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