“No reason why Kyrgios can’t win Wimbledon, Australian or US Open in the next 8 months” – Millman

Millman believes Kyrgios should skip the French Open and focus on the other two Majors of 2023

Nick Kyrgios at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic

May 1, 2023

Australian tennis player John Millman believes that countryman Nick Kyrgios should skip the upcoming French Open and concentrate on the other three Grand Slams that follow – Wimbledon, the US Open and the Australian Open – where he believes Kyrgios has a legitimate shot at going all the way.

The 28-year-old Kyrgios enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022, reaching his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon and winning the Australian Open doubles title with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. However, he has not played on tour in 2023 due to a knee injury for which he underwent surgery in late January.

Kyrgios is slated to play an exhibition match in Denmark against Holger Rune later this month and had earlier (pre-surgery) announced his plans to play the French Open for the first time in six years. However, Millman feels his countryman should skip the event and focus on the grass court season instead.

“Nick proved last year when making the final of Wimbledon that he can win grand slams. I see no reason why he can’t win Wimbledon, Australian Open or the US Open in the next eight months,” the former world No 33 Millman wrote in a column for News.com.au.

“Nick will be wanting matches before Wimbledon and Roland Garros could provide him with these, but I can’t help but feel he’s good enough to once again do what he’s done so many times in his career – put all his chips on the table, skip the clay and go all in for the grass. (Amelie) Mauresmo would love the Kyrgios show in Paris, but if I were Nick I’d be letting her calls go to voicemail.”

The biggest weapon on tour, the Kyrgios serve, is much less devastating on clay – Millman

Australia’s John Millman in action during his second round match against Germany’s Alexander Zverev at the 2022 Australian Open (AI/Reuters/Panoramic)

Millman, who is now ranked No 224 in the world, went on to detail why he thinks Kyrgios’s chances on clay are slim in the column.

“For me, there are question marks concerning the amount of success he (Nick Kyrgios) can have on the clay courts of the French Open. European and South Americans predominantly grow up playing on clay as opposed to the Australians on hard courts. Essentially Roland Garros gives them ‘home court advantage” having learnt from a young age the nuances of clay. To add to this the biggest weapon on tour, the Kyrgios serve, is much less devastating on this heavier surface where the serve is more easily neutralised.”

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