Nick Kyrgios says the Wimbledon tradition of playing best-of-five sets for men’s doubles is the “stupidest thing ever”.
Kyrgios and compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis will team up at the All-England Club, where they’re the number 10 seeds, following their breakthrough win at the Australian Open earlier this year.
They’ll face Slovenian Aljaz Bedene and Korean Soonwoo Kwon in the first round.
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But it’s a whole different ball game at SW19 compared to Melbourne Park, where the doubles was played over best-of-three sets.
“To be honest, I’m not really looking forward to playing best-of-five sets doubles,” Kyrgios said at his pre-tournament media conference.
“I think it’s the stupidest thing ever, to be brutally honest.
“I don’t know why it’s best-of-five sets.”
Kyrgios made a run to the quarter finals at the All-England club as a teenager in 2014, where he beat Rafael Nadal, which remains his best grand slam performance.
It’s why he’s never previously played in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon, preferring instead to focus on his singles campaign.
“No-one wants to play best-of-five sets doubles, no-one wants to watch best-of-five sets doubles,” Kyrgios said.
“I’m excited, but I’m also dreading the fact that if it’s one-set all I’m going to have to be playing three more sets of doubles.
“That’s why I haven’t played it before, it doesn’t make sense because I’ve always gone pretty well here in singles.
“I’m not going to, on my off day, play potentially five sets of doubles.”
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Speaking on Nine’s Today, Wide World of Sports tennis commentator Jim Courier said Wimbledon is Kyrgios’ best chance of a grand slam singles title.
“He could be a real spoiler, there’s no doubt he’s great on grass, he’s beaten Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon before, he has one of the best serves in tennis, he’s a guy that is not afraid of the top players, if he’s going to win one, I think this is a real good shot for him.”
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