Nick Kyrgios insists he won’t be underdone for his Australian Open assault despite his match practice being limited to a playful exhibition with Novak Djokovic.
Kyrgios and Serbia’s nine-time Open champion turned out for a lively fundraiser on Friday night in front of a full house at Rod Laver Arena, which was the Australian’s first match of the year due to ankle and knee injuries.
He withdrew from the United Cup and the Adelaide International due to the injuries and hasn’t played a tour match since early October.
But the top local hope said he wasn’t concerned about his lack of court time heading into round one, where he will face Russian world No.98 Roman Safiullin.
“I have always been a player that doesn’t need too many matches,” world No.21 Kyrgios told reporters on Saturday.
“I played 12 to 13 events last year which felt like that was a lot of tennis.
“Obviously there are players that need a lot of matches going into a grand slam but me, I just like to feel fresh, I like to feel like I’ve got everything under control.”
Fuelled by his charge to the 2022 Wimbledon final, where he was beaten by Djokovic, and his quarter-final run at the US Open, Kyrgios has earnt the tag of an Open favourite.
Ash Barty ended Australia’s long wait for a home champion at Melbourne Park last year by taking the women’s title but no Australian man has won since Mark Edmondson in 1976.
Doubles champion with Thanasi Kokkinakis last year, Kyrgios is aiming to trump his previous best singles result in Melbourne, which came back in 2015 when he made the last eight.
While his antics have left some fans cold, Kyrgios felt it was a “privilege” to be the Australian favourite and was embracing the pressure, as well as support, from playing in his home slam.
“Everyone wants to get to a position in their sport or their profession to be one of the best and have that expectation and pressure,” he said.
“It’s a privilege to go out there and feel that Australia wants me to win and to be one of the favourites – it’s a good feeling.
“I walked in here at the Australian Open maybe eight, nine years ago as a wildcard and now to see how my career has unfolded, to get to a point where everyone kind of expects me to win and go far, it’s a good feeling.
“But there’s a lot of stress, as well. I see it everywhere, on social media, everyone talking about it – ‘How are you feeling about Australian Open? You’re one of the favourites’.
“It’s hard to kind of just focus on what I need to do.”
Despite his lack of on-court presence Kyrgios has been all over the media this week but said he found events like the fundraiser rewarding.
“I look at the fact I’m able to raise a quarter of a million dollars for charity and make Novak feel right at home at the slam where he’s had the most success,” he said.
“I have this platform now where I’m able to inspire the youth, do great things with it so it’s not really taxing for me personally.
“I’ll never slow down with that sort of stuff. That’s why I got to the position I’m in.”
By Melissa Woods in Melbourne
