Nick Kyrgios has put on a show as Wimbledon has returned after a year’s hiatus with fans in attendance. But the controversial Australian admitted on Thursday that he was ‘ok with not winning Grand Slams.’
After a thrilling five-set win over Halle champion Ugo Humbert in the first round, Kyrgios scored a confident 7-6(7), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Gianluca Mager to charge into the third round.
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“I feel like when [fans] come to my matches now, they know how I am,” Kyrgios said after the match.
“I’m quite lighthearted. They know it’s a bit of a show. They just want entertainment at the end of the day. Like a couple screaming out asking normal questions about Tottenham Hotspur. It’s a bit odd. It’s crazy out there.”
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Kyrgios also believes he is a lot more ‘relatable’ to tennis fans than the ‘three gods’: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
“These are once-in-a-decade athletes that inspire millions of people. They’re just gods,” he said.
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“I see them as that, too. You have to have some people, I believe, that are relatable, that people can bring other fans to watch, people that are just normal. I feel I’m one of those people.”
“I’m ok with not winning Grand Slams,” the 26-year-old added.
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“I know that’s going to make a lot of people angry. He should be doing this. But I shouldn’t though. It’s not your life, it’s mine. I’m ok with just enjoying myself, putting on a show. Not everyone can be a Federer or Djokovic.”
Kyrgios will take on 16th seed Felix Auger-Aliassime in an interesting third-round clash. The Australian is also competing in the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon, with former champion Venus Williams.
