Emulating Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic key for top 10 quest: Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios Reuters

Nick Kyrgios has vowed to emulate the right things done by Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal to make his way into the top 10 of the ATP rankings. Novak Djokovic is currently the world number one. Rafael Nadal is ranked second. Nicky Kyrgios is ranked 33rd in the world.

Kyrgios won the 2019 Mexican Open where he defeated German Alexander Zverev in the final. The Australian said the win gives him a great feeling, but he needs to change the way he lives his life off the court in order to improve his performance in the court. "Obviously the win feels good, but this is just the start. I think I need to do a lot better and I need to work a lot harder. I think my game is top 10, but the things I do off court, my professionalism, my work ethic, is not top 10. I think I need to get those things right, to get into the top 10," Nicky Kyrgios said, as reported by Express.

"When you look at Sascha, Rafa, Novak, every single day they're doing the right things. And for me I'm not doing the right things yet. So hopefully maybe I can start doing that, and one day I can be top 10." Kyrgios is known for his temperament and has been in the news for wrong reasons on certain occasions. His recent performance has been the best for a long time, according to the player himself.

"I think I've played a lot better (tennis before), but this could be the best I've competed in a long time. I did everything I could on court, I tried 100 per cent. I think I've played much better tennis. It's huge. To win a tournament like this, beating the players I beat, just gives me confidence," said Nick Kyrgios. "I could have lost second round to Rafa in the second round – he had three match points. So I'm very lucky and very fortunate to be in this position.

"And shows if I can do it – and I was going through some really rough times, was really battling mentally, seeing a psychologist – I just hope I've set a good example to people that are struggling. If I can do it and go out and beat guys like Rafa, Stan, Zverev, you can get through whatever you're getting through," Nick Kyrgios added.

READ MORE