“I don’t let them forget what they told me,” Nick Kyrgios opens up on getting bullied which has forced him to develop “thick skin”

World No. 26 Nick Kyrgios has made a brilliant comeback this season after a couple of low years on the Tour. Having won his first singles Tour title since 2019, Nick also became a Grand Slam champion for the first time when he won the 2022 Australian Open with childhood buddy Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios also managed to reach a Grand Slam final in singles for the first time but was unlucky as he finished runner-up at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships.

Kyrgios was ranked outside the Top-100 back in March, but in a span of 5 months, he has recovered brilliantly to be seeded at the US Open as he enters the major as the 23rd seed. With a tricky draw at hand in the US Open, Kyrgios will need to be at his best to get his hands on his maiden singles major title as he could face defending champion and World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev as early as the 4th round.

Also Read: Nick Kyrgios to face stern Daniil Medvedev challenge in the quest to his maiden major title at the 2022 US Open

“Now it doesn’t sting anymore, but I don’t forget it,”: Nick Kyrgios on the bullying

As he reaches New York for the 2022 US Open being called one of the title favourites, the Australian recently opened up during his interview with Sports Illustrated where he talked about how he faced bullying and racism growing up in Australia and the impact those things have on him to date.

“When I was young, I was an overweight child. A lot of coaches and teachers told me that I would never be good. I dealt with the same criticism all over Australia, racism, everything. I still have a lot of resentment in me. It stings. Now it doesn’t sting anymore, but I don’t forget it. So now when I’m on top I don’t let them forget what they told me. I just need to channel it the right way. I have thick skin because I face a lot of things,” said Kyrgios.

While his parents currently are sick, Kyrgios is waiting to wrap the US Open leg and reach home to be with his family and take a small break from playing continuously since the Grass season began. The Australian will start his campaign against Kokkinakis in Round 1 of Day-1 of the Grand Slam.

Also Read: US Open 2022: Nick Kyrgios vs Thanasi Kokkinakis Live Stream, Match Timings, Prediction, and Preview

Also Read: “Everything he does there is exceptional,” Pete Sampras in awe of Rafael Nadal’s dominance at the French Open

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