Inside Kyrgios’ ‘Very Good Tennis Brain’: Why Low Percentage Is High Percentage

Nick Kyrgios is known for his sizzle — huge serves, tremendous touch, tweeners and winners out of nowhere. Although some question his shot selection from time to time, the Australian says there are brains behind his brilliance.

“I feel like I do my research on all the players, and I feel as if I have got a very good tennis brain. Watching tennis as a kid and all the tennis I have played and just how much I watch it, I kind of know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses,” Kyrgios said. “I just feel like I know my game style well and what works. I feel obviously against someone like Fokina or Medvedev, de Minaur, these type of players, if I engage in too many rallies, it’s not high percentage.”

Kyrgios specifically referred to how players will engage in crosscourt rallies to play “high percentages”. He is unafraid of switching things up and changing the rhythm of a rally.

“For me, that’s not high percentage. That’s not how I’m going to win matches is by playing easy balls crosscourt. For 90 per cent of players, that’s high percentage, but for me that’s very low-percentage tennis. That’s not going to get it done,” Kyrgios said. “Against these types of players, I know I have to stay on top of the points, stay aggressive, try and shorten the points where I can, serve and volley, mix it up, slice. I have got to play my type of tennis, and that’s high percentage.”

To the 27-year-old, it is less about following conventions and more about employing your game style properly against a given opponent. Fighting fire with fire is not always going to work, for example.

“I just feel like I’m really clear on what that is for my game, and I know how other people are trying to play,” Kyrgios said. “That’s the key to it. I feel like me not having a coach has worked. I think the last six months, I don’t think many people have achieved that without a coach before, and I feel like that’s just something that comes with confidence and knowing your game.”

Kyrgios advanced to the second round of the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday with a 7-5, 6-4 win against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The recent Citi Open champion and Wimbledon finalist has performed well in Cincinnati before, especially in 2017, when he defeated Rafael Nadal en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 final.

“Cincy is quiet and it’s a very chill place. I have played some amazing tennis here in my career, and I have also had some crazy outbursts, as well,” Kyrgios said. “It’s definitely a flip of the coin of what Kyrgios comes and shows up in Cincinnati, but hopefully this time around it’s just a calm, collected [Kyrgios]. I just want to have a good week before I continue on the good habits and just give myself all the best for preparation for US Open.”