Washington, Aug. 8 (BUS) – Nick Kyrgios ended a three-year drought with a dominant victory over Yoshito Nishioka at the City Open on Sunday, and the Australian said he has surprised by his “amazing transformation” over the past year.
Kyrgios fired dozens of aces en route to a 6-4 6-3 victory over his Japanese opponent to claim his first singles title since winning the same hard-court tournament in 2019 in Washington, D.C., Reuters reported.
Kyrgios, who finished second at Wimbledon last month, looked overwhelmed with emotion when he fell on his back on the court after sealing his seventh singles title.
“To see what I’ve been up to from last year to now, it’s just an amazing transformation,” he said, adding that he’s been in “some really dark places.”
“There are a lot of people who have helped me get there, but me, I’ve shown some serious strength to keep going and persevere and get through all those times and keep performing and winning trophies like this.”
Kyrgios, known for his erratic style on the court and his outbursts, has opened up about his mental health struggles earlier this year, saying he had suicidal thoughts and that the time approaching the 2019 Australian Open was one of his “darkest periods”.
He said last year that he was not sure how long he would continue to play professional tennis but that he has shown a new level of consistency this season.
Kyrgios has not dropped his serve in Washington and has won 11 of his past 12 matches, only losing to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.
He also claimed his third doubles title of the year, returning to court with Jack Sock later on Sunday to defeat Evan Dodig and Austin Krajicek 7-5, 6-4. Kyrgios won the Australian Open and Atlanta doubles with fellow countryman Tanasi Kokinakis.
“Before the Australian Open, I decided I really wanted to put in a good practice block, and then things started going downhill,” said Kyrgios, whose ranking rose to 37th.
“I had a great Australian Open. I felt like in the tournaments after the Australian Open I was kind of reinventing myself a little bit on the court.
“I feel like my motivation is a lot greater than it was before…I don’t know. I just feel like there’s a little window I should take advantage of.”