Nick Kygrios views his presence in the Wimbledon final as a victory for major misfits.
The 40th-ranked Kyrgios took a walkover into Sunday’s final after second-seeded Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament on Thursday night due to abdominal tear.
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Earlier this week, Kyrgios shared this image of his younger self on social media.
Clad in a Wu Tang t-shirt, the younger, stockier Kyrgios looks like he may have been practicing his drop shot. He captioned the image "Wimbledon finals."
Asked to describe what he was like as a kid, Kyrgios replied “hungry…I was hungry.”
Reflecting on his rise from a chubby kid on Canberra’s public courts to Centre Court in the Wimbledon final, Kyrgios said he hopes he inspires other kids who feel outcast.
“I think it's just hilarious because, like, I don't think I'm supposed to be someone like me. Like, I look at that photo, I grew up in Canberra, the courts I trained on were horrible, and now I'm in the chance to play the Wimbledon final,” Kyrgios said. “I think it's honestly an inspiration for any sort of kid who's kind of been outcasted or just been surrounded by negative headlines or negative just clouds or trying to be, like, just being brought down from a lot of different angles.”
The 27-year-old Kyrgios concedes he carries a massive chip on his shoulder recalling the criticism he’s received along the way.
Looking back at his childhood photo, he sees a kid who looks like he should be sharing a scene with Ed O’Neill and Sofia Vergara than playing on Wimbledon’s Centre Court for a Grand Slam title. Kyrgios said this journey has taught him to trust himself even when those around are doubting.
"I feel like it's possible, it's still possible to achieve something quite special if you just believe in yourself," Kyrgios said. "I never really lost belief in myself. I feel like most people around me at some stage in my life have lost belief that I would ever make a Grand Slam final, doubted me a little bit in my behavior or just the way I trained. I think everyone, it's safe to say. That's fine they doubted me, but I never lost belief in myself.
"I think that's just a strong message for any kid who doubts himself. Just keep going. Look at that photo, I literally look like Manny from 'Modern Family' "
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport