Nick Kyrgios would have beaten Rafael Nadal at 2022 Wimbledon, believes Pat Cash
Nick Kyrgios received high praise and a little advice from former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash. Cash stated that Kyrgios would have defeated Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the 2022 Wimbledon had the Spaniard not withdrawn due to an injury.
Kyrgios is known for his mercurial temper on court. His quarterfinal match against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2022 Wimbledon saw the two exchanging unpleasant words as the umpire had to issue several warnings.
While referring to the same match in a podcast, Control the Controllables, the host asked Pat Cash what he would have said to Nick Kyrgios had he been his coach.
Cash praised Kyrgios and feels that while the fellow Australian is physically very capable, he needs to work on his mental game.
"I don't think I would coach somebody like that. Not because, talentwise, he'd be fantastic. First of all I think he wouldn't want a coach, but to Nick, it's that work ethic, the output and input and mental stuff," he said.
"Last Wimbledon he got a default from Rafa but I think he probably would have beaten Rafa anyway. He[Rafa] wasn't a 100% fit but he[Nick] didn't have to go through that extra match which was good for him but did he handle himself well in the finals? I thought he was coming out a bucket of nerves," he added.
Cash believes that Kyrgios has what it takes, but needs to "work harder" particularly after his injury setback.
"He's not far aff, really putting it all together, but it's not gonna be easier, it's gonna be harder, with injury, but yeah, you know the mental thing and the physical thing, really to work just a little harder," he said.
Following Rafael Nadal's withdrawal from the semifinals of the 2022 Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios reached his first Grand Slam final. But Novak Djokovic beat the Australian in four sets to win the coveted trophy.
Nick Kyrgios falsely accused of demanding VIP treatment from security guard at Australian Fashion Week
Nick Kyrgios recently became a victim of inaccurate journalism. An Australian daily reported that he and his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi demanded a security guard at the Australian Fashion Week to escort them to a fashion show in order to shield them from frenzied fans. The report further stated that Kyrgios complained about being asked to stand at the end of the queue to enter the show.
The 28-year-old Australian took to Instagram to call out the news website and clarified that the security guard was a fan and accompanied the couple out of his own will. He wrote:
“The security guard had a disability and was a fan! We had a great conversation and I told him how grateful I was that he wanted to help.Shoutout to the security guard, keep being strong! You know who you are,” read the post.
“I lined up with everyone else and requested no ‘VIP’ treatment. Also, didn’t complain at all. How did you get this picture then?” he wrote.