Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic… that’s crazy!
Nick Kyrgios shared the challenges of facing top players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray when they were at their peak.
The Australian player has been one of the most recognizable figures on the ATP Tour in recent years, known for his powerful serve that strikes fear in his opponents. However, he has yet to claim a Grand Slam victory. Kyrgios explained that he felt a sense of “failure” when facing not only the Big Four but also the top 15 players at the time.
The Struggles Against Tennis Titans
“I was talking to someone a few days ago. I remember when I made it to the fourth round and quarterfinals of a Grand Slam, I felt like I was the worst player in the draw,” Kyrgios recalled. “There was one time at the Australian Open, it was the fourth round, and at that point, players like Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray were all at their peak.”
“Then you have [Stan] Wawrinka, [Marin] Cilic, [Gael] Monfils, [Jo-Wilfried] Tsonga, [Richard] Gasquet, [Tomas] Berdych, [Juan Martin] Del Potro, and [Kei] Nishikori. I just thought, I can’t do anything about this.”
Murray’s Dominance and Kyrgios’ Challenges
Murray, who has won three Grand Slam titles in his career, compared to the over 20 titles of Federer, Nadal, and Djokovic, has won six out of seven matchups with Kyrgios, four of which were at Grand Slam tournaments.
Even after Kyrgios managed to overcome Murray, he knew he would face even tougher challenges. “At that time, I just thought, I can’t win. I lost to Murray in the fourth round many times, and I thought that was a good opportunity. I felt I could win, but I never thought I could win a Grand Slam with those four players at their peak. It was impossible.”
The Impossibility of Beating the Legends
“How could you beat three or four of them to win the title? It was impossible. No one had ever done that. Like [David] Nalbandian did once at a Masters event. No one had ever done that at a Grand Slam.”
Making it to the Fourth Round: A Major Accomplishment
“So, you’d have to get past someone in the fourth round, like Nishikori. And that was impossible. Yeah, that was a joke. I remember those days, I just thought, if you made it to the fourth round, that was a great week. I did my best. It was crazy.”
