Wimbledon 2022 – “I thought the train had passed”: In the half, Nick Kyrgios surprises everyone, even him

Moreover, his feat of this London fortnight is above all this crazy, stormy match, won in 4 sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the third round: “He was probably a bully at school”the Greek will say about the Canberra native in a press conference. Childhood, always.

“I thought the train had passed, that I had ruined this window which had opened”especially when, in 2014, the one who had been awarded a wild card, managed to defeat Rafael Nadal in this same tournament in the round of 16. Since then, however, the Australian has been lost, lacking rigor on and off the courts to confirm the beautiful promises he had hinted at: “There was a time when you had to drag me out of a pub at 4am to play a second round of Wimbledon against Nadal (in 2019, lost 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6)“also told the player a few days ago.

After several years of evolving away from the radar, except for his jokes, Kyrgios therefore seems to have finally found the way. But alone: “I don’t have a coach, I will never put this burden on someone’s shoulders”he conceded after qualifying for his first career Grand Slam semi-final. This does not prevent him, since the start of the tournament, from shouting vigorously at his clan when a point does not turn in his favor.

“Each of my team members has an important role, although none of them know tennis better than me. I’ve been playing this sport since I was 7 years old. I’m in the semi-finals and I’m pretty happy “he described. Before, with a kind word for his opponent of the day, Cristian Garin, to slip: “He had a wonderful tournament. It could just as well have been him standing in front of you”. A word worthy of the wise Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic. When he tells you he’s grown up.