Nick Kyrgios ‘pretty close to crying’ after securing first win in over 2 years at Miami Open
Nick Kyrgios clinched his first win since the 2022 Japan Open with a three-set victory over Mackenzie McDonald.
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Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Tennis Australia)
Nick Kyrgios has been at the receiving end of criticism due to his back-to-back defeats after making his comeback at the Brisbane International this season. Kyrgios came from a set down to beat America’s Mackenzie McDonald 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 43 minutes to clinch his first win in over two years.
Kyrgios, after losing his Brisbane International first round to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, fell to Jacob Fearnley in the Australian Open first round. The Aussie then registered three defeats on the trot when Botic van de Zandschulp ended his campaign in the Indian Wells first round.
Kyrgios was seen wiping away his tears after his Indian Wells defeat. He was close to crying once again following his win over McDonald. Following the win, Kyrgios said that he was afraid about not being able to play tennis again.
I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty close to crying on the court. I just think about the last two years, and it’s been pretty brutal, to be honest. I was in a cast for 12 weeks, couldn’t move my wrist, and the surgeons were saying I’d never play again. And I was listening to a lot of the outside noise, you know, about whether I’d be able to play at this level and win.
Nick Kyrgios told Tennis Channel
It was Kyrgios’ first win since his victory over Kamil Majchrzak in the fourth round of the 2022 Japan Open. Before Brisbane International, he stayed 18 months on the sidelines due to multiple surgeries and could play just the 2023 Stuttgart Open.
But during his time off the court, he often made headlines due to his comments on the doping cases of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Kyrgios was confident about making a decent comeback but as it didn’t happen due to his wrist injury flare-up, it again forced him to contemplate retirement.
Nick Kyrgios feared the draw at the Miami Open
Nick Kyrgios has been handed a tough draw at the Miami Open. If he reaches the third round, he could face 2024 Miami Open finalist Grigor Dimitrov and 2022 Miami Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth round.
A win in the fourth round could set up a quarterfinal match against Casper Ruud. He then could meet Daniil Medvedev or Novak Djokovic in the semifinal. Following his first round, Kyrgios admitted that he wasn’t confident about himself after seeing the draw but said the feeling that he belongs again was “pretty special“.
It’s tough. Honestly, I saw the draw and I didn’t feel confident about facing anyone, to be honest. The way my wrist has pulled up the last 6 months hasn’t been great. But I guess having one win against Mackie…I had something to draw from experience. He’s such a good player. He’s so tricky. It definitely caught me off guard.
Nick Kyrgios said during his on-court interview
The 29-year-old has clinched a 2-1 head-to-head record over McDonald after the win. Before this match, they met in the 2021 Citi Open where the home favorite won but he lost in their second meeting in Houston in 2022.
Nick Kyrgios to lock horns with Karen Khachanov next
Nick Kyrgios has a tough match ahead of him as he has scheduled a second-round clash with Karen Khachanov. The Russian tennis ace, who received a bye, will kick start his campaign against the 2022 Wimbledon finalist in the round of 64.
The upcoming match will be their fourth encounter on the tour following their meetings in the 2019 Cincinnati Masters, 2020 Australian Open, and the 2022 US Open. It was Khachanov who emerged victorious in their last meeting.
Kyrgios, who is the winner of seven ATP titles, has never won the Miami Open. He has made it to the fourth round of the second leg of the Sunshine Double in his five appearances in the tournament.
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