‘I didn't hit more than an hour a day!’ - Nick Kyrgios on 'pretty cool' Wimbledon run after loss to Novak Djokovic

Updated 11/07/2022 at 13:28 GMT

Nick Kyrgios has voiced his surprise after his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic, saying that it feels "pretty cool" to be a runner-up in a Grand Slam. Appearing in his first Grand Slam final, the unseeded Australian started brightly, winning the first set 6-4 before going on to lose in four sets: 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6.

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Nick Kyrgios has voiced his surprise after his Wimbledon final defeat to Novak Djokovic, adding that it feels "pretty cool" to be a runner-up in a Grand Slam that he only planned to "have some fun" with.

Speaking to the press after his enthralling maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, Kyrgios said he should not be in the final.

"I look back at it and I'm just like, 'How am I here?' Like, where I'm from, everything I've been through," the Australian said.

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"You know, it's pretty cool. I'm just not supposed to be here.

"Literally a month... month and a half ago, I was actually playing basketball with some boys back home and I said to one of them, 'I think I'm going to have some fun and maybe win Wimbledon.'

"Then I'm here as a finalist. I didn't hit more than an hour a day."

The unseeded Australian went down to defending champion Djokovic in four sets after a strong start that saw Kyrgios take the first set 6-4, but the Serbian No. 1 seed roared back with some excellent hitting and tactical nous to retain his crown at SW19.

An athlete whose commitment is often questioned, Kyrgios has - throughout the two weeks of Wimbledon - reiterated that his professionalism has improved greatly, citing an example of when he "had to be dragged out" of a pub at 4am on the morning of his second-round match against Rafael Nadal in 2019.

"I feel like I've committed a fair bit these two weeks," Kyrgios said at his post-match press conference.

"What more can I do, to be honest? I've stayed in [the house] most of the time.

"I've tried to just get good sleep, eat well. Not even have a beer here or there.

"I was taught that's all right - even though it sucks. Of course it sucks."

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