\u201cI played a full year last year [2022], no injuries; had great results, had a great year,\u201d Kyrgios told The Athletic\u2019s <\/em>Matthew Futterman.<\/p>\n \u201cI barely played this year, two surgeries, and now still, I would probably say they\u2019re both [years] equally as fine, which is crazy. Most tennis players would be like, \u2018This was just depressing\u2019. People would be struggling, they would be like, \u2018What do I do? Who\u2019s my identity?\u2019. This year, it\u2019s been equally as enjoyable as last year. That\u2019s just my personality and how different it is. That\u2019s the crazy thing.\u201d<\/p>\n Kyrgios has always had a complicated relationship with tennis, and on Netflix\u2019s Break Point, <\/em>and more recently Piers Morgan Uncensored<\/em> on TalkTV, the Canberran revealed he had struggled with suicidal thoughts in February last year.<\/p>\n After a successful and relentless 2022, during which he made his first grand slam final, Kyrgios said he was \u201ccooked\u201d.<\/p>\n Nick Kyrgios said he would like to get into commentating and television when his playing career comes to an end.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Chris Hopkins<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cI was spent after I got home after the US Open, I was cooked. I was so mentally fried. I was just so tired. Physically, I felt fine but just mentally, I was over it. So maybe this year is a counterbalance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n During the injury lay-off, his list of off-court projects continued to grow.<\/p>\n Just last week Kyrgios announced he would be joining video subscription company OnlyFans to \u201cto disrupt the way sports stars share content\u201d. Last month he was providing analysis for The Tennis Channel, and next year he will be releasing an interview series called Good Trouble on YouTube.<\/p>\n After tennis, Kyrgios says he would like to get involved in television and commentary, but it would be viewed as un-Australian if he started before he called time on his playing career.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel more respected here [US],\u201d Kyrgios said. Australians \u201cdon\u2019t expect athletes to do anything else but play their sport, which is really weird. I definitely see myself coming back at some stage and playing at a high level again. But because of how intense last year was for me, this was a year to just balance it out\u201d.<\/p>\n And, he also has some feedback for former players-turned-commentators.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s hard to watch these old heads kind of break down the game all the time for new fans,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like some of the stuff they say doesn\u2019t make sense. Jim Courier is really good, the way he articulates things, but some of these other people, I\u2019m just like, \u2018What are you talking about?\u2019. Like, \u2018How do you know?\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe game was so slow back then,\u201d he continued. \u201cI\u2019ve watched Boris Becker and I\u2019m not saying they weren\u2019t good in their time, but to say that they would be just as good now, it\u2019s absurd,\u201d he said. \u201cA big serve back then was like 197 to 200 (km\/h). People like me, we serve 220 consistently, to corners. It\u2019s a whole different ball game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not saying they wouldn\u2019t have found their way … but serve and volley, to do it all the time now, you need to be serving 220 because if you serve anything less than 220, bro, [Novak] Djokovic eats you alive.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports news, results and expert commentary.<\/i><\/b> Sign up for our Sport newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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