Nick Kyrgios will miss this year’s Laver Cup, the player announced on August 3 through his Instagram story. This will be the first time for the Canberra-born player to miss the annual tournament since its first inauguration in 2017.
Kyrgios took part in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021 editions, representing Team World with none of them ending with trophies. He said that he would spend time this year to spend more time with his mother and girlfriend.
“No Laver Cup for me this year. Just letting you all know. Gotta have that home time with my family and beautiful girlfriend,” Kyrgios wrote on his Instagram Story.
The 27-year-old played his first ever Laver Cup in the doubles sector, playing alongside the American Jack Sock beating Tomas Berdych and Rafael Nadal by 3-6, 7-6. 7-10. During the next two days, he played singles, winning one against Berdych and losing the final day against Roger Federer.
In the 2018 edition, he lost another singles game against Federer on the second day of the tournament. Kyrgios and Sock helped Team Europe to gain points on the second day, defeating Grigor Dimitrov and David Goffin. Kyrgios then lost the singles game again on the third day against Novak Djokovic.
The Kyrgios-Sock pair met with Nadal again in the 2019 edition, whom this time was paired with the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas. The latter lost 4-6, 6-3, 6-10. Kyrgios suffered the loss of another single against Federer.
The 2020 edition was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the United States hosted the tournament for the second time, this time in Boston’s TD Garden. In this edition, Kyrgios lost both his singles and doubles games, marking his first Laver Cup without contributing any points for Team World.
Efficient 👌
In his first singles match since the Wimbledon final, @NickKyrgios storms past Giron 6-3 6-2 in his Washington opener!#CitiOpen pic.twitter.com/AfVD2JSjvm
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 3, 2022
Previously, Kyrgios ended his three-year drought for the ATP title by winning Citi Open 2022. He even won it both in singles and doubles. In the singles final, he beat the Japanese player by 6-4, 6-3. Meanwhile, in the doubles final, he and Jack Sock defeated Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-5, 6-4.
Kyrgios’ silver lining
Kyrgios’s win in the Citi Open lifts him up to the 37th world rankings. This is a good lead-up for him prior to the Grand Slam U.S. Open on August 29 in New York.
“To see where I was at last year to now, it’s just an incredible transformation,” Kyrgios said in a post-match interview.
“I just came out with great energy. I knew that I had experience on my side today. I love this court, I’ve played so many good matches here, so I’m just really happy with myself.”
He later added that his glory in the Citi Open was real proof that he could overcome his gloom period. Kyrgios also thanked people for helping him get through the “dark places.”
“I’ve been in some really dark places. Just to be able to turn it around,” he said. “There are so many people who have helped me get there, but myself, I’ve shown some serious strength to just continue and persevere and get through all those times and be able to still perform and win tournaments like this one.”
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