'Deep in his soul Nick Kyrgios is a very nice person' - Dominic Thiem
World No. 3 Dominic Thiem is the favorite to win the ongoing US Open 2020 according to many, and he will lock horns with 21st seed Alex De Minaur in the quarterfinals tonight. Thiem has also recently launched his new website, where he gave his opinion on Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios.
Dominic Thiem believes that the tennis universe has never witnessed a player like Kyrgios. The Austrian star also opined that there might not be another Kyrgios in the future.
"He is distinctive, you cannot replace him, he is totally unique! Tennis should be happy to have such a person. This sport hasn't seen anyone like him before and probably never will," Dominic Thiem said.
Popularly known as the 'bad boy' of tennis, Nick Kyrgios has been at the centre of several controversies over the last few years. The 25-year-old Aussie was fined a record $113,000 for his unprofessional behavior at the Cincinnati Masters last year.
Kyrgios has also been fined for verbally abusing spectators, not putting enough effort in the game, unsportsmanlike conduct and even making obscene comments towards his opponents. Many claimed he had crossed all limits during a match against Stan Wawrinka in Montreal five years ago, where he accused Wawrinka's girlfriend of cheating on him.
While the World No. 40 has been a controversial athlete, no one can deny that he is an extremely talented player. Kyrgios has achieved the rare feat of defeating Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in his first meeting with each of them. In fact, current World No. 1 Djokovic has never beaten Kyrgios on the ATP tour.
People either hate Nick Kyrgios or love him: Dominic Thiem
The tennis community at large has mixed views about Nick Kyrgios, but in Dominic Thiem's opinion, the 25-year-old player is a very nice person. Even though Thiem has not played much tennis with Kyrgios, the two players enjoyed the nightlife in Acapulco together a few years ago.
"People either hate him or they love him. Deep in his soul he is a very nice person. Some years ago, we discovered the Acapulco nightlife together, that was awesome!" Thiem stated.
It is pertinent to note that the three-time Grand Slam runner-up and Kyrgios had a war of words after the Adria Tour debacle. Thiem even said that he wouldn't talk about the Aussie player any more, but his recent statements contradict that.