“Only thing that will shut people up” – Kyrgios to hunt for a Grand Slam title on comeback

Aussie Nick Kyrgios never fails to cause a stir with his words and he’s at it once again. Kyrgios has set his sights on a Grand Slam trophy with the single aim of silencing his haters.

The former world No 13 has been out of ATP Tour action since June 2023 nursing multiple injuries on his wrist and feet, also not competing at the Majors after the 2022 US Open, where he lost to Russian Karen Khachanov in the quarter-finals after knocking defending champion Daniil Medvedev out.

In the meantime, he has undertaken the role of a presenter, commentator, podcast host, and analyst for various media agencies, covering some of the biggest events on the ATP Tour.

However, the tennis comeback bells are finally ringing after more than a year-long hiatus it seems.

“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game,” Kyrgios revealed Monday on News Corp’s Code Sports with the World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi approaching.

The 29-year-old is notably one of three players after fellow Aussie Lleyton Hewitt and Slovak Dominik Hrbaty to beat the Big Three — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — on the first attempt. Also, he’s a Grand Slam champion in doubles (Australian Open 2022 with Thanasi Kokkinakis) and runner-up in singles (lost to Djokovic in Wimbledon 2022 final).

“I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me,” Kyrgios added. “Made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money.”

But the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.”

Nick Kyrgios

“That will be my deep motivation,” the holder of seven ATP titles champion said. “I’m far from done, to be honest I’m in the later stages of my career, but I still have one or two years left… I’m feeling extremely well. I’m hitting for around three hours every day now. My wrist from surgery has completely healed and I’m feeling motivated.”

Kyrgios turned professional in 2013 at 18 years old. Since then, he has accumulated more than $12 million in prize money, with three quarter-final appearances at Wimbledon in 2014, the Australian Open in 2015, and the US Open, as mentioned above, in 2022.

About the Aussie’s first wins over the Big Three, he famously overcame Spaniard Rafael Nadal (7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3) in a Round of 16 match at the London Major. He defeated Swiss Roger Federer (6-7 (2), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (12)) in the 2015 Madrid Masters Round of 32. Serb Novak Djokovic became his latest victim in 2017, losing 7-6 (9), 7-5 in the Acapulco quarter-finals.

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