CITI OPEN

August 3, 2021

Nick Kyrgios

Press Conference

M. McDONALD/N. Kyrgios

6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How would you assess how you played tonight?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, look, I didn't play great. I thought obviously I had a couple breakpoints here or there. I didn't take those. You guys know how it goes: you don't take opportunities... You have a guy hungry, who's obviously been playing pretty well, coming back.

Ultimately, like, I know I can't be too hard on myself. I haven't played a lot of matches or any of that type of stuff. I'm not going to talk bullshit. I played pretty average. My body feels pretty average.

But he played well. He made enough returns. He played the big points well. He should be proud. He's a good player. He's a great guy, as well. I'm not taking anything away from him.

But as I said, like, I don't know, I just didn't play great.

Q. You haven't played that many matches. Was that part of it, you're still kind of getting in the groove of things?

NICK KYRGIOS: I just feel as if I don't -- I'm not feeling the severity of certain points, and I don't feel the pressure as much as obviously playing week in, week out. You feel when you kind of have to press, when you kind of have to relax, when you kind of coast, when you kind of push.

I don't really feel like my body and my mind quite understand the severity of some points here or there because I haven't played that much.

Look, I'm disappointed. I'm disappointed. I know that I'm going to be dealing with a lot of shit now on social media. Like, my head's in the shed, to be honest. I don't know. I didn't play great.

I know there are going to be a lot of people disappointed. As I've said, I got doubles still this week. I'll try and enjoy every bit of time I have on court. I'll get back on the practice court. All I can do is just keep trying to play, keep swinging and hopefully things will turn.

The more tennis I play day in, day out, hopefully I'll get some momentum, get back to some of the old tennis that I can play. As of now, I can't be too hard on myself.

Q. It seems like you looked flat out there at times. How much is that coming here, defending the title, ranking points? How much is it's just sort of general feeling, not locked in?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I just don't feel as if I can lock in as easy as I used to be able to. I feel as if not playing for so long, actually being unattached from the sport, coming back I've lost the severity, as I said, of 30-All points, breakpoints. You know what I mean? Just I don't know.

You know, everyone's going through their problems off the court, too. I'm going through my problems off the court. They can be playing a part, which I'm not as locked in. It's tough. I'm dealing with problems like we all are. I feel like it affected me a little bit today.

But, again, he played a hell of a match. He was pretty clean, barely made any errors, made a lot of returns.

It's one match. In the scheme of things, am I going to remember this match in two years' time? No. So, I mean, I'm not going to be too hard on myself.

Q. Obviously you're not being too hard on yourself, but you're obviously disappointed in this result.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, of course. I never want to lose. Like, I'm a competitor. But I just feel as if I don't take it -- it's weird. When I'm out on court, I'm not like -- I don't -- like I don't feel the severity of a breakpoint, I don't feel the pressure like I used to. I don't know. It's like I don't feel the emotions as much as I used to when I'm on court.

I look around and the crowd is there. I don't know what it is. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to feel. I just don't feel as if I'm in the moment as I used to be, I guess.

I feel like I actually enjoyed my tennis more when it was so up and down. Like you see me today, like I'm losing and I'm barely getting angry. I actually miss the days when I was losing and I was carrying on and I was getting fined and I was throwing my racquets, I was carrying on.

That just meant that I just cared a lot. Do you know what I mean? Like I actually cared what was happening. Now I lose and I'm actually happy for the other guy. Back then, I couldn't stand the other guy. Now I'm like...

I don't know, I don't know. I always had this theory when people got angry when they're losing, really angry, that it was a sign that they cared. Do you know what I mean? Like it's positive. Now, I don't know. It's weird, man. It's really weird.

Q. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you looked a little subdued out there. How do you turn around your mental -- turn it around mentally?

NICK KYRGIOS: Well, I've had a lot of people in my life tell me a lot of good things. I just try and -- I don't know. It's tough. Like, it's tough.