Kyrgios eyes elusive first Slam... but first must overcome British ace Jubb

PERHAPS this will be Nick Kyrgios’s year at Wimbledon. He’s got the talent to become a Grand Slam champion, but the debate over the Australian’s application continues to crop up when in his company.

At his press conference yesterday, it was Kyrgios himself who wanted to talk about accusations of him being an underachiever. ‘I’m one of the people that has to deal with that every week,’ said Kyrgios, 27. ‘Like, “Oh, he’s probably one of the biggest wastes of talent. He should be winning a Slam”. ‘Not many people have actually gotten over that hump in singles. It’s obviously something I want to get over. I know from a confidence standpoint, I’m never low on that.

‘I’ve played top-10 players in the world this year and made them look pretty ordinary. I know where my game’s at. I know if I’m feeling confident, I’m playing well, I’m able to just light it up kind of whenever I want.’

This will be Kyrgios’s eighth go at winning Wimbledon, his best record being a quarter-final appearance at his SW19 debut in 2014. He starts the 2022 edition by facing promising Brit Paul Jubb (left), the 22-year-old from a Hull council estate. Kyrgios is world No 45 compared to Jubb’s 219, though he says he doesn’t care about rankings, hence why he didn’t mind taking a break from between April and June.

‘That’s who I am,’ Kyrgios said. ‘Rankings and all that, it’s not something I chase. ‘I’ve been playing some really good tennis on the grass. Mentally, I’m feeling ready. ‘For me, I just know if I’m serving well and I’m playing well, I can beat anyone,’ added Kyrgios, confident as ever that this 2022 could indeed be his year.