Nick Kyrgios would have entered next week’s US Open entrenched inside the top 15 for the first time in almost five years had his Wimbledon heroics counted towards his world ranking.
Ranking points were not awarded at Wimbledon after the All England Club’s decision to ban players from Russia and Belarus from competing over the invasion of Ukraine.
While Kyrgios has still managed to climb to No.26 in the world, a jump of almost 100 positions from his ranking after the Australian Open in January, his seeding could have been far higher if points towards Wimbledon stood.
Regardless, the 27-year-old Australian heads into next week’s tournament at Flushing Meadows with a career-high 78 per cent success rate on tour this season, including a personal best 64 per cent success rate against top 10 opponents.
On the back of his inspired run to the final at The All England Club, Kyrgios heads into the US Open as a genuine contender.
However, Kyrgios has been handed an awkward first-round encounter against his good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis in an all-Australian clash.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis – the ‘Special Ks’ when they play together as a doubles team – have been drawn in a tough quarter, which also features Russia’s No.1 seed and defending champion Daniil Medvedev.
The Australian Open-winning pair, who will also be seeking a third title of the year together in the men’s doubles, have never played against each on the main tour, though Kyrgios did win their two lower-level encounters when they were up-and-coming teens.
The draw is a minefield for No.23 seed Kyrgios. If he beats Kokkinakis on Monday (Tuesday, Sydney time), he’ll likely play dangerous French leftie Ugo Humbert in the second round and battle-hardened Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, the No.16 seed, in the third, before a possible match-up with Medvedev.
However, his chances of lifting his first grand slam title have been boosted by the COVID-19 vaccination regulations that will prohibit his Wimbledon nemesis Novak Djokovic from competing in the tournament.
Nick Kyrgios will play fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in the first round at Flushing Meadows.Credit:Getty Images
Since the loss to Djokovic at Wimbledon in July, Kyrgios has enjoyed a mix of tennis and holidaying. He spent a couple of weeks with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi and members of his entourage inside his Bahamas mansion, before touching down in the US to prepare for the grand slam in New York City.
In his first event since Wimbledon, Kyrgios won the tournament at Washington before falling short in the quarter-finals in Montreal.
He reached the second round of the Cincinnati Masters before bowing out to world No.13 American Taylor Fritz in his final hit-out before the last grand slam of the season.
Kyrgios showed signs of fatigue and soreness in his knee in that match which had portions of the crowd voicing their displeasure with his output in the 51 minute loss to Fritz.
Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski said he understood the crowd’s frustrations but gave Kyrgios the benefit of the doubt.
“He doesn’t look strong enough to do it week in, week out,” Rusedski said on Amazon Prime.
“You can hear the boos around the stadium. They didn’t feel like he’d given his best effort out there. But I think you’ve got to give him some slack … he’s given it a go.”
“We’re hoping the knee isn’t too serious but he’s got to show more. He’s improved out of sight but physically he’s got to get stronger. You’re worried about the knee physically. It’s a lot easier to do on grass courts than hard courts.”
The completion of the US Open will mark the end of an almost four-month stint on tour for Kyrgios, who hasn’t spent as much time away from family in almost three years due to his reluctance to play during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
His mother, Nill, recently had a knee replacement, while his father, George – who returned home after Wimbledon – has also been unwell. Kyrgios is also yet to meet his nephew, his brother Christos’ son George.
The emotion of being away from family appears to be taking its toll on the Australian, who said as much when asked about the loss to Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz which ended a nine-game winning streak in Montreal a few weeks ago.
“I honestly don’t care,” Kyrgios said at the time. “I’ve been away from home, away from my mum, away from my dad. “They’re not very well at the moment. So I don’t really care about the ‘no winning streak’. I’ve got two more tournaments left before I can go home.”
Kyrgios is still facing a charge of assaulting his former girlfriend Chiara Passari in Canberra last December, an offence which carries a maximum jail sentence of two years.
The case, which was originally set for August 2, has been adjourned twice until October 4 when Kyrgios is expected to face the Magistrates Court.
Kyrgios said he had been advised not to comment on the matter.
“I have a lot of thoughts, a lot of things I want to say, kind of my side about it,” Kyrgios recently said. “Look, I understand everyone wants to kind of ask about it and all that, but I can’t give you too much on that right now.”
with AAP
Watch all the action from the US Open ad-free, live & on demand on Stan Sport, with centre court matches streaming in 4K UHD from Tuesday 1am AEST.
