Now Kyle is one of the high fliers

The more consistently you can play at a high level, that’s where you’re going to get top ranking and results.”

This past week and a half, Edmund has proved to everyone something he always believed – that he could cut it with the big boys.

He belongs in their company. Now he is ready to kick on and up the rankings. He has loved the ride in Australia. “The whole experience, it’s been so good,” he said.

“It’s the experience to be here, one of the biggest tournaments of the world, and making a good run and beating top players. It really

always feels better when you win these matches at the Grand Slams. “It’s a test of so many things like endurance, mental, physical and stuff. To be able to win five matches like I have done, it’s really pleasing.” Of course he disappointed to lose to The 29-year-old is a former US Open champion – he has won one of the big titles before and he knows how it is done. At the other end of the court, Edmund was subdued in the first set, fired up over an umpiring decision that went against him in the second, and he was bossed around in the third set. But overall, he was not was Cilic. good enough on the day to beat the more experienced Croatian world No 6.

His cause was not helped by a hip or groin injury (he would not specify what the problem was) that needed treatment at the end of the first. But his biggest problem was that he was not playing at his best and Cilic was. “He always serves very well,” said Edmund. “He’s got a very good serve, disguised very well, hits his spots good. He has got good power, and he’s a tall guy so you expect guys like that to serve well. I was below my standard and wish I could have played a lot better. There’s always things I would like to do better, but it’s not always possible every day.”

Yet nothing was going to detract from the overall experience of reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final.

Not even the constant media attention was going to spoil that. He has learned a few things about himself from that media coverage – some of them true, some of them not – but he is growing into his newfound celebrity.

“If you embrace it, you cope with it better,” said Edmund.

“The top guys like Roger Federer have been doing it their whole life. They crack on and embrace it. It’s good to learn from them.”

He should be back in London by Saturday and, in theory, on his way to Spain on Monday for Britain’s Davis Cup tie, injury permitting.

The only way from here is up.

There are things I want to do better