Kyrgios sure he is one of the best if he keeps calm

NICK KYRGIOS is out to do damage at Wimbledon this year, with the Australian having declared himself one of the world’s best on grass on his day.

Kyrgios, who reached the quarter-finals as a teenage wildcard in 2014, says the only obstacle is whether he can hold himself together mentally for two weeks.

The 24-year-old is known for his flair on court and wants to show his critics that he can be a Grand Slam contender.

‘I feel like I’m one of the best grass-courters in the world on my day, so I know that I can back myself under pressure on this surface,’ said Kyrgios.

‘If the stars align, I can (do well). Holding it together for two weeks mentally, for me, is tough. But I’ll try my best. I want to go there and have a good result.

‘I feel I could do better than quarter-finals at Wimbledon. I did that when I was 19 without any training really, so I feel mentality is the key.

‘I need to go in feeling fresh and if the draw is a bit nicer that would be good.’

Kyrgios withdrew from the French Open two days before the tournament began, citing illness.

‘I was maybe going to play the French Open, I wasn’t too sure,’ he continued. ‘It didn’t make sense. I hadn’t been training much and I wanted to get on the grass as soon as possible.

‘It (Wimbledon) is the best tournament in the world, hands down. Obviously the Australian Open is pretty cool but I feel like if you win Wimbledon, that’s the ultimate Slam you want to win.

‘Maybe one day it’s me but that’s not my goal. I want to be happy. I don’t know how many more Wimbledons I will play, so I can’t take these for granted.’

Kyrgios caused a stir ahead of the French Open when he launched a volley of insults towards Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, who went on to win his 12th title in Paris.

The Aussie said Djokovic’s post-match celebration, when he blows kisses to the crowd, is ‘very cringeworthy’. He also branded Nadal ‘super salty’ in the way he reacts to losing.

On the reaction to those views, Kyrgios said: ‘Regardless of what players say, my opinions won’t change.’