Reputations can often prove deceptive, and tennis star Nick Kyrgios is no exception after confessing it's 'always hard being him.'
Controversy has rarely been far from the Canberra native throughout his nine-year professional career thus far, though some would argue he draws unnecessary attention upon himself. Kyrgios will have the spotlight above him once again when he attempts to win his home major at the Australian Open in January, but the 27-year-old isn't as at ease with the added attention as many might believe.
“It’s always hard being me," he told Eurosport. "Because when I win a tournament or win something of value, they always want more. It’s never like, ‘OK, it’s time to rest’, it’s like, ‘right, do it again’ or ‘do it now.'
"And I've learnt that the people will never have enough. I've achieved some great things in this sport [considering] where I came from. My parents travelled to Australia with nothing. And to see how much I've achieved and I'm able to provide for my family and friends. . .I know I'm content with myself, and I want to achieve more for myself but [also] for all my team, not for anyone else."
Kyrgios is bound to draw extra attention in the wake of what was surely the best year of his career to date. After teaming up with Thanasi Kokkinakis to win the men's doubles crown at the Australian Open, he later made his Grand Slam singles final debut in a Wimbledon defeat to Novak Djokovic.
Kyrgios then ended his three-year wait for an ATP Tour title the following month, beating Yoshihito Nishioka to win the Citi Open in Washington. But while he acknowledges "being in the spotlight is not easy," Kyrgios is also well aware of the fortune he's had, too.
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“I always believe that pressure is a privilege," he added. "In real life, there’s not much pressure to being a professional tennis player. We earn great money, we travel around the world with our favourite people.
“We get to see different people, different cultures. In the scheme of things, that’s not pressure, but I completely understand going on the match court with all this expectation that ‘Nick Kyrgios [has a] legitimate chance to win a Grand Slam now’, there’s a lot of pressure there especially having the Australian Open and everyone in Australia expecting big things from me."
That weight of expectation comes part and parcel with being among the best in one's industry, a status Kyrgios can confidently boast given his performances in 2022. Next year's Australian Open will be the first glimpse as to whether those levels can be sustained, with the Australian hoping to finally break his Grand Slam singles duck in front of a home crowd.
