Nick Kyrgios: Fast4, Laver Cup, ATP Cup, that’s what tennis needs
In an interview, Nick Kyrgios backed the introduction of the ATP Cup in the calendar in January 2020. The Canberra native looks forward to playing for Australia possibly against the likes of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Speaking in Sydney, before competing in the Fast 4 exhibition match, Kyrgios said: “I’m super excited. When an event like this gets introduced into the calendar I’m always really looking forward to it. Just to be with the boys I grew up with ... Thanasi [Kokkinakis], Jordan [Thompson], to see Alex [de Minaur] doing so well ... it’s going be an awesome event. I know everyone on the tour wanted more of this type of stuff. For me there is nothing better than playing for your country, going out there and playing against the best players in the world.'
Kyrgios believes new events bring new excitement: 'It’s the same thing every week, another tournament. The same bunch of players are winning the tournaments, there’s no real mix up and this is exactly what the sport needs. It’s unbelievable to get that amount of players in Australia at that time, the start of the year. It’s a great chance for people who don’t follow tennis to get into it and I think that’s what the sport needs at the moment. It’s exciting. All the top players are going to be here, you get behind your nation and the way Australian tennis is at the moment - we’ve got so much depth - so it’s going to be a lot of fun to get out there with the boys. But this was exactly what the sport needs. Otherwise it was just going to stay the same and probably die out. Events like Fast4, Laver Cup, ATP Cup, that’s what it’s needs. Laver Cup, that final day (last September) got more views than a grand slam final. That’s just proof that more people are interested in that type of tennis, rather than the same thing they see every day.'
The Tennis Australia CEO and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said: 'Players can play this event on the men’s side and then go into the Australian Open and pretty much set up their entire year in a period of four weeks.'
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from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2RBEFzX
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