"It's Rafael Nadal who is the greatest of the Big-3 for me" - Nick Kyrgios picks Spaniard over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the GOAT debate
Nick Kyrgios picked Rafael Nadal over Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in the GOAT debate in a recent interview with Spanish newspaper Ultima Hora, citing his haul of Grand Slams as the reason.
Since the Spaniard has 22 Majors to his name at the moment, two more than Federer and Djokovic, Kyrgios reckons he should be seen as the greatest achiever of the three.
The Mallorcan achieved his 22nd Slam at the French Open, where he defeated Casper Ruud in straight sets in the final to notch up his 14th Roland Garros title. Enroute to the title, the 36-year-old defeated defending champion Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Last weekend: Rafael Nadal watches his beloved Real Madrid become champions of Europe for the 14th time in Paris
This weekend: Rafael Nadal wins the French Open for the 14th time in Paris https://t.co/rM9I5njZRp
With many pundits and fans hailing the World No. 4 as the greatest tennis player in history for his achievements, Kyrgios found himself agreeing with them, at least as of now.
"I think it's Rafael Nadal [who is the greatest of the Big-3 for me]. He now has 22 Grand Slams and the other two have twenty," Kyrgios said.
Kyrgios: "Nadal is the best out of the Big 3, because he has won 22 Majors while Djokovic and Federer have 20."
The mercurial Australian, who is in line to compete in the Mallorca Championships in the lead-up to Wimbledon, also touched on his own tennis career in the interview. Nick Kyrgios was happy about the fact that fans were excited to come watch him play, adding that he was proud to reward them too with his entertaining playstyle.
"I love that people follow me and come to see me in the different tournaments, and that they like my way to play I am proud of my style," Nick Kyrgios said. "Being able to prove it is also a reward for me."
Regarding his "bad boy" image, the former World No. 13 did not think it was fair to regard him as such. The 27-year-old hit back at his critics, stating that he was not about to downplay his emotions or ambitions.
"I don't understand why they think of me [as a "bad boy"]. I'm 27 years old now and I've been playing like this since I was ten," Kyrgios said. "I have always been very emotional and ambitious. I'm not going to change. Because I think the fans want to see exciting and intense games. If you lose, you will be angry. It's normal, it's human. Some show it more and some less."
"I don't normally set goals, what I want is to enjoy myself on the track" - Nick Kyrgios
During the interview, Nick Kyrgios also discussed his goals for the 2022 season, noting that he didn't care about the rankings and that he simply focussed on playing his best tennis.
"I don't normally set goals. What I want is to enjoy myself on the track," Kyrgios said. "I don't think about the rankings because I know I can beat anyone."
Nick Kyrgios has discussed his struggles with depression, and told people "you are not alone" in an emotional Instagram post.
The Australian also spoke up about his mental health struggles, which he went public with a few months ago on social media. Nick Kyrgios revealed that his intention was to help others who were in a similar situation, adding that it was important to let others know they were not alone in this fight.
"I thought [making my fight against depression public] could be good and help other people in a similar situation," Nick Kyrgios said. "I had the feeling that I had no one to talk about it or trust. I rejected the support of my family and friends, I did not open up. They could have helped me find my way and think positively again."