Nick Kyrgios picks his US Open champion, and it isn’t himself
Nick Kyrgios has named young superstar Carlos Alcaraz as his pick to win his first Slam title at this year’s US Open.
With a 31-9 win-loss record in 2022, the Australian is having his winningest season since 2017 and will be seeded at least 24th at the US Open, but did not back himself for the title on social media.
Kyrgios responded to a Eurosport tweet asking users to choose their men’s champion by naming world number four Alcaraz as his pick.
The 19-year-old Spaniard has taken the tour by storm this year with two Masters 1000 titles in Miami and Madrid before reaching a second Slam quarter-final at the French Open after reaching his first at last year’s US Open.
At this year’s tournament, Alcaraz will be seeded third behind defending champion and world number one Daniil Medvedev and idol and 22-time Major champion Rafael Nadal.
Nick Kyrgios picks Carlos Alcaraz to win the #USOpen pic.twitter.com/r3jEmu4rxv
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 22, 2022
Kyrgios secured his best ever Slam result in July by reaching the final of Wimbledon before losing to Novak Djokovic as the Serb claimed his seventh title there.
Despite his acumen on hard courts, 27-year-old Kyrgios has never reached the second week in New York, making it to the third round on four occasions in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019.
However, having gone out in the first round in 2021, the world number 26 can only build on his tally of 1,430 ranking points or stand still there.
But with a title in Washington earlier in August and a week-and-a-half of rest after an early exit in Cincinnati, Kyrgios seems set up to far surpass the opening round at Flushing Meadows.
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