“I wouldn’t recognise them,” Nick Kyrgios raises questions on ability of clay court bullies in Top-100
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Nick Kyrgios on clay court (Image Credit: EuroSport)
Australian professional tennis player Nick Kyrgios had a fantastic season in 2022. He won his career’s first Grand Slam title- the Australian Open 2022 doubles title with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. He also played his career’s first Grand Slam singles final- the Wimbledon against none other than Serbian tennis great Novak Djokovic.
Although he may have made great strides in tennis tournaments all year round, the popular personality has struggled to perform well in tournaments held on clay courts. That’s not all, he has often expressed this hatred towards clay surface in many interviews, eliciting a plethora of reactions online. With that being said, there is no denying the fact that Nick Kyrgios and Clay courts do not gel well.
In the latest interview, the Australian blatantly confessed his hatred and annoyance towards clay courts. He is also perplexed by the immense number of prestigious tournaments organized on clay courts.
“I’ve said it many times and I’m saying it again now: There are too many clay-court tournaments on the calendar,” he lamented.
The reason for Nick Kyrgios’s struggles on the clay court is that it does not support his way of playing professional tennis. Essentially, he is used to performing well on courts that support pace and hard-hitting while clay court makes the ball roll slowly. The Australian has also commented on the number of players who are currently ranked in the Top 100, mainly because of their performance in clay court tournaments.
“I see guys in the top 100 that I don’t even know, I wouldn’t recognise them if I crossed them on the street, and they’re there only because of the clay tournaments. I think it’s crazy,” Continuing his train of thought, he further added.
Following the comments, many believe that he took an indirect dig toward Norwegian tennis professional Casper Ruud.
Nick Kyrgios will play in French Open in 2023
Following his hatred towards clay courts, the Australian player has despised the tournaments held on clay courts, even the prestigious French Open, and even argued to remove it from the tennis calendar altogether.
And that’s precisely why the Australian has not been featured on the Roland Garros since 2018. His best performance came way back in 2016 when he reached the third round of the tournament. However, after being a ‘no show’ at Roland Garros for almost 5 years, Nick Kyrgios has decided to participate in the French Open in 2023. The reason for this change of heart is his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi.
“Yes, I’m playing the French Open, my girlfriend wants to see Paris, so why not?” he said confirming the news.
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios is enjoying his off-season vacation. He will soon start his 2023 ATP season journey by taking another shot at the Australian Open 2023. Furthermore, he will also team up with Thanasi Kokkinakis as they will try to defend their Australian Open doubles title.
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