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Australia has an incredible tennis historical past, however Nick Kyrgios is not feeling iconic champions have his again.
Kyrgios claims legendary Aussie gamers haven’t solely turned their again on him, they’ve a “sick obsession with tearing me down for some purpose.”
The 27-year-old Kyrgios is the primary Australian man since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 to succeed in the Wimbledon ultimate. When Kyrgios faces defending champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s ultimate, he would be the first Aussie man to contest a serious ultimate since Hewitt misplaced to Marat Safin within the 2005 Australian Open ultimate.
Kyrgios says just one male Aussie legend—his Davis Cup captain Hewitt—has been supportive of him.
“As for the greats of Australian tennis, they have not all the time been the nicest to me personally,” Kyrgios stated. “They have not all the time been supportive. They have not been supportive these two weeks. So it is laborious for me to type of learn issues that they are saying about me. For example, once I noticed Ash Barty within the ultimate of Australia, I used to be nothing however blissful. I might by no means say a nasty phrase about an Australian making a ultimate. Like that is simply me.
“And the type of solely nice that is ever been supportive of me the entire time has been Lleyton Hewitt. Like he is aware of. He is our Davis Cup captain, and he type of is aware of that I type of do my very own factor. I am undoubtedly the outcast of the Australian gamers.”
Former world No. 1 Hewitt performed doubles with Kyrgios on the 2018 Queen’s Membership and has served as a training advisor to the 27-year-old Kyrgios previously.
Kyrgios says Hewitt is aware of when to offer him area and stated “it s fairly unhappy” different Aussie standouts have been important of him. Former Wimbledon champion Pat Money has been a Kyrgios critic, significantly ripping his conduct throughout his third-round upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas.
“[Hewitt] is aware of to type of preserve his distance and simply let me do me,” Kyrgios stated. “He simply sends me a message right here or there, Maintain going. That is actually it. Simply, Properly achieved. Maintain going. It is fairly unhappy as a result of I do not get any assist from any of the opposite Australian tennis gamers, the male facet. Not the gamers, however just like the previous greats. It is bizarre they simply have like a sick obsession with tearing me down for some purpose.
“Like, I simply do not know whether or not they don’t love me or they’re, like, afraid. I do not know. I do not know what it’s. Nevertheless it sucks, as a result of if it was roles reversed, if I noticed de Minaur in a ultimate, or if I noticed Jordan Thompson or Thanasi, I would be pumped. I would be stoked. I would be having a pint watching going nuts. So I do not know. Shout-out to Lleyton, I suppose.”
Picture credit score: Mark Peterson/Corleve
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