Kyrgios Returning To The Basics In Atlanta

More than anything this week, Nick Kyrgios just wants to have fun at the BB&T Atlanta Open. Some weeks this season, the 21-year-old Aussie has enjoyed himself on the ATP World Tour, and the results have followed. Other weeks, it’s been the opposite.

“I’m just going to try to find that balance of enjoying myself, having fun and competing hard,” he said. “Hopefully I have a good week.”

His singles week will start on Thursday evening when Kyrgios, No. 18 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, faces #NextGen player Jared Donaldson for the first time. Donaldson, World No. 123, prevailed against Kyrgios’ countryman Sam Groth earlier this week.

“He’s capable of producing great tennis,” Kyrgios said of the 19-year-old American.

Kyrgios has been determined about trying to be relaxed on and off the court in Atlanta. He visited the NBA TV studio in Atlanta and talked tennis and basketball with hosts Vince Cellini and former NBA player Steve Smith. Kyrgios also played basketball at least a couple times at Georgia Tech with fellow ATP World Tour players, including Christopher Eubanks, Reilly Opelka and #NextGen’s Taylor Fritz.

“That was unbelievably fun,” Kyrgios said.

He also entered a doubles draw for only the fifth time this season (Australian Open, Open 13 Provence, Roland Garros and Rogers Cup). On Monday evening, he and long-time friend James Frawley, whom Kyrgios played tennis with as a teenager in Australia, fell to Ukrainians Sergiy Stakhovsky and Alexandr Dolgopolov.

“I feel like it’s a good balance,” Kyrgios said of playing doubles. “You have a lot of fun out there. I probably enjoy myself a lot more on the doubles court than I do in singles… and hopefully it can help me with my singles.”

The 6’4” right-hander has faced high expectations ever since he bursted onto the scene as a big-serving 19 year old making his Wimbledon debut in 2014. Kyrgios reached the quarter-finals then, upsetting top seed Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.

But it’s not as if Kyrgios has been struggling all season on the ATP World Tour. The Canberra native is 26-11 this season. He won his first ATP World Tour title at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille. He’s also hiked 12 spots in the Emirates ATP Rankings since January.

Read More: Kyrgios First-Time Winner Spotlight

“I think my season has gone pretty well,” he said. “Obviously I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this year and last year. But I think, ultimately, I’m getting better as a player.”

Kyrgios wants to reach the Top 16 of the Emirates ATP Rankings before the season ends. He also might hire a coach in the near future. In Atlanta, he’s without a coach and a strength and conditioning assistant.

“I’m definitely having some interest… I’m just trying to see what I want to do,” he said.

He’s also glad to be in Atlanta for the first time. “I think the conditions suit me well here as well – fast hard court, bouncy,” he said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for me to do well.”