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Cape Town - Nick Kyrgios says he has not changed his negative opinions on ATP heavyweights Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, while also vowing to keep the ‘honesty’ coming.
The Australian caused quite a stir recently when he branded Rafael Nadal a sore loser and Novak Djokovic “cringeworthy” for his obsession with being liked.
While he received plenty of criticism for the comments, Kyrgios says he stands by them – and added that some of his fellow players even agreed with him in private.
“Regardless of what players say, my opinions won’t change,” Kyrgios said.
“A couple of people [in the locker room] have loved it actually.
“I’m not going to mention names, but regardless if people like it or don’t like it they were just my honest thoughts.”
Turning the focus to his own game, Kyrgios said he saw himself as one of the best grass court players in the world, and backed himself to prove it at Wimbledon next month.
Having admitted he is not a fan of the French Open, Kyrgios said he's a completely different player on grass, and at Wimbledon in particular.
“I’m one of the best grass-courters in the world on my day so I know that I can back myself under pressure on this surface,” he said.
“I’ve always felt pretty comfortable on the grass.
“My record at Wimbledon’s pretty good. I feel like I’ve had some great memories, really fond memories there – that’s where it all started for me.
“I’ve had some epic matches. It’s just the tradition of Wimbledon is awesome – the crowds are very respectful, the courts are perfectly cut.
“It’s the ultimate slam you want to win. And I don’t know how many more Wimbledons I will play so I can’t take these for granted.
“I feel like I could do better than quarter-finals. I did that when I was 19 without any training really.”
