Will Kyrgios use his momentum for special US Open run?
Like him or loathe him, Nick Kyrgios has provided box-office entertainment in the world of tennis throughout his career. The Australian has been noted more for his outspoken behavior than his excellence on the court, but he has started to change this perception during the 2022 season with a fine run of form, including his surge towards the Wimbledon men’s finals.
Kyrgios gave a good performance in the men’s finals against Novak Djokovic and won the first set, but in the end, the quality of the Serb’s playing was too much for the Australian, who suffered defeat in four sets. Still, the run-up to the final was encouraging for the 27-year-old and he now has the chance to build on this momentum at the US Open.
Kyrgios is backed in the US Open tennis odds at +600 to win the event and secure the first Grand Slam of his career. Kyrgios’ style of play suits hard courts better than the grass courts of Wimbledon, although he has not been able to capitalize on this attribute yet. He has a win percentage of 68.22% when playing on hard courts – higher than his combined average which includes his results on both clay and grass. The Australian boasts one of the strongest serves in the game, firing the ball at his opponents. Occasionally it can lead to bouts of arrogance – like the time when he asked a fan where he should clinch his win over Marcos Giron at the Citi Open. Incidents like these are fine taken in isolation, but if they cloud his judgment, it could lead to his downfall.
Given his attributes, it is all the more surprising that Kyrgios has failed to progress beyond the third round of the US Open during his previous eight appearances at Flushing Meadows. There were positive signs at the Citi Open hard court, where Kyrgios produced a brilliant run to the final, defeating Tommy Paul and two other high-seeded American talents on his way to the title, where he overcame Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets. This was his first title since 2019 when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the Washington Open, and it highlighted his development throughout the 2022 season.
Perhaps his most encouraging performance of the year came in the Canadian Open. Kyrgios was pitted against Medvedev in round 32, but his form was so outstanding on the day that he bounced back from losing the first set and proceeded to dump the Russian out of the competition. However, Kyrgios failed to take it all the way through the tournament, getting beaten in the quarter-finals by Hubert Hurkacz in three sets.
The 27-year-old must prepare himself for the mental as well as the physical challenge that he will face at the US Open. Kyrgios needs to control his emotions when his plays on the court are not going his way – something that was an issue in the match against Djokovic and also affected other matches that he played at the All England Club.
When he is playing well and has found his rhythm, Kyrgios has the rare gift of being able to fire up any crowd in the world, but those voices can easily turn. If he can get the crowd on side in New York, he could achieve something very special, as he is currently playing the best tennis of his career.
