“I would pray not to play him,” Alex Corretja gives warning signals to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal by weighing in on Nick Kyrgios’ Wimbledon chances


“I would pray not to play him,” Alex Corretja gives warning signals to Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal by weighing in on Nick Kyrgios’ Wimbledon chances

Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios, and Novak Djokovic

Australian showman Nick Kyrgios is considered to be one of the most dramatic and entertaining players on the tour and is often criticized for not using his potential to its fullest. But this season, Kyrgios has shown some consistency like never before. He looks a lot more focused and relaxed during his matches and started the season with a few good results.

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He skipped the clay-court season to focus on grass and so far, he has been one of the best players on the surface. He reached the semifinals both at Stuttgart and Halle and looks ready for Wimbledon where, unfortunately, he will be unseeded. Tennis expert Alex Corretja spoke to Eurosport about Kyrgios’ Wimbledon prospects.

He said that any seeded player would definitely pray to not face him in the early rounds because it is very difficult to play against him on grass. Corretja believes that his serve is probably the best on tour right now and he thrives on grass.

“If I would be in the Wimbledon draw and I would be seeded, I would pray not to play Kyrgios in the first rounds,” Corretja said. “It’s so difficult to play against him, his serve is probably one of the best on tour right now. He knows that he loves to play on grass, he likes to have fun, and he likes to get the crowd involved. I think he’s playing with less pressure.”

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Considering everything, Corretja feels that Kyrgios can be very dangerous and if he gets a good draw, he can surely go deep in the tournament. “I feel like he’s just playing to see what will happen, and he loves the conditions, he loves the surface. So I think if he’s got a place in the draw where the seeds are ones that he can dictate and that he’s the one dealing and dominating, he can be dangerous,” he said.

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‘I think Kyrgios is someone that you don’t want to really see next to you in the draw’: Alex Corretja

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios

Corretja further said that longer matches that he played at the Australian Open or the US Open probably don’t suit him but things are different at Wimbledon as, despite the length of matches, the rallies are much shorter. He added that anybody won’t want to see Kyrgios next to them in the draw.

“In another moment, I feel like he was not probably ready, like when you see him in the Australian Open or US Open, because the matches are longer, but in Wimbledon, they can be long, but he can make quick points. He can put pressure on the return as well, with the forehand, with the backhand flat. Well, I think Kyrgios is someone that you don’t want to really see next to you in the draw,” he said.

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