Nick Kyrgios And Coco Gauff Follow Nadal To Exit Door
US Open
September 7, 2022
Nick Kyrgios seemed to struggle with the pressure as he was bundled out of the US Open just when he seemed to be favourite.
You had to feel for the popular superstar as he began to lose control of his destiny.
Anti-hero Kyrgios prefers to be the underdog, you suspect. It means less pressure on the biggest occasions.
He wasted most of his big chances to break – and Karen Khachanov beat him 7-5, 4-6, 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4.
Just when the Australian appeared to be bouncing back after an explosive fourth-set tie-break, he broke the cardinal rule of tennis.
After the initial euphoria, he allowed himself to be broken at the start of the decisive set – and never fully recovered.
It wasn’t the climax to an entertaining showdown that the Flushing Meadows crowd wanted to see.
They had already been heartbroken to witness home superstar Coco Gauff beaten 3-6, 4-6 by the hugely impressive French fighter, Caroline Garcia.
Nick Kyrgios and Coco Gauff will learn from their US Open demise and come back stronger for Wimbledon 2023.
Both players have thrived on the grass of the All England Club before – and Kyrgios was a Wimbledon finalist this summer.
Rafael Nadal has won Wimbledon twice and when he recovers his mental strength, he will have a wonderful chance of making it a hat-trick next year.
But this US Open is running out of big names to thrill the thousands of American tennis fans packing the arena and watching from home.
A lot now rests on the ability of Frances Tiafoe to continue to capture the imagination.
It was the brilliant young American who toppled the mighty Nadal a couple of nights back.
And he will have the crowd on his side for as long as he can stay in the tournament.
Meanwhile the biggest superstar left in the women’s draw is Iga Swiatek.
She hasn’t been playing particularly well but she already knows that Grand Slam winning feeling and must fancy her chances of more silverware.
Iga Swiatek will be among the favourites for Wimbledon 2023 too!
She won the junior title a few years ago and she will grow stronger each year on grass.
There’s nothing like the glamour and glorious history of Wimbledon!
Will you be there next year?