Sam Stosur backs Nick Kyrgios to flourish for Australia at the upcoming 2023 United Cup

Despite saying no to the opportunity to play in the Davis Cup Finals this season, Nick Kyrgios has been included in the Australian team for the United Cup 2023. Nick Kyrgios is the highest-ranked Australian player in the ATP rankings. However, he has consistently decided not to play in team competitions for his country, Australia. The ATP Cup 2020 was the last time when he played for Australia.

The 2022 season was the greatest season for the 26-year-old. He won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. He also reached the final of Wimbledon, for the first time in his career. Although he could not win the final against Novak Djokovic, he has given a new ray of hope to Australian fans. Also, he has given a glimpse of his potential to the world.

Samantha (Sam) Stosur, the captain of the Australian United Cup team, is very excited to have Nick Kyrgios on her team. She thinks that World No.22 will love this format and will thrive in the tournament.

“I think it’s no secret Nick loves being in a team and a team competition. He’s our highest-ranked player in the country, and I’m certainly looking forward to watching him play. To be honest, I haven’t been on the sideline watching Nick in a live match. I do find his tennis really entertaining, and he’s an amazing player. To be right there this week is going to be lots of fun,” she said as reported by the British news website The Daily Mail.

“It’s the United Cup, a united team. When the team’s out there playing, we certainly expect everyone to be out there supporting each other and doing the best they can from the sidelines as well as on the court,” she continued

Nick Kyrgios has just participated in another mixed-gender format exhibition event, the World Tennis League in Dubai, UAE. He played for Team Eagles.

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United Cup 2023: Team Australia

The Australian team is one of the strongest teams in the United Cup. The team boasts some brilliant players in its line-up such as Nick Kyrgios, Ajla Tomljanovic, Alex de Minaur, Zoe Hives, Jason Kubler, Maddison Inglis, John Peers, and Samantha Stosur. Lleyton Hewitt is the non-playing captain.

This will be the first time this competition is being played. This is also a different feeling for Nick Kyrgios, who is going to start his 2023 season with this competition. He knows that all eyes will be on him. Also, Australian tennis fans want him to win the Australian Open which will start on 16th January.

“I’m kind of gearing for an exhausting couple of weeks, to be honest. But I’ve just got to internalize it and just think to myself it’s just another tournament. Obviously, it’s a lot more than just a tournament for a lot of other people around me. For me, I’m the one playing, so I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I’ve got about three weeks from now until then to just get my body right, get my game right, and feel good about it. There is a little bit of excitement but it’s probably 95 percent stress, 5 percent excitement to be honest,” he said about increased hopes of Australian fans from him.

Australia is currently seeded at No.7 and drawn with Spain and Great Britain in Group D. They will be playing their Group matches in Sydney. Nick Kyrgios will start the campaign for Australia on 29th January at the Ken Roswell Arena against Team Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie.

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