‘I made huge strides mentally’: Nick Kyrgios in line to cap incredible year with prestigious award
Ash Barty may have retired but she’s still in line to win Australia’s most coveted tennis award, going head to head with Nick Kyrgios.
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Ash Barty may not swing the racquet anymore, but the three-time major singles champion is in line to add to her incredible list of achievements.
The 26-year-old is chasing a fifth-straight Newcombe Medal after she was one of a record seven nominees for the most prestigious Australian tennis award.
Fresh from helping Australia reach the Davis Cup final, Alex de Minaur has also been nominated along with Matt Ebden, Storm Hunter, Nick Kyrgios, Max Purcell and Ajla Tomljanovic, who reached the quarters at Wimbledon and the US Open.
Barty, the former world No.1, shared the award with Dylan Alcott last year and also won it in 2019, 2018, and 2017, with the awards not held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her shock retirement back in March means she’s only played a couple of events in 2022, but they were all quality, with Barty winning all 11 of her singles matches in the Australian summer.
The highlight was her breakthrough win at the Australian Open where she became the first local woman to win the grand slam in 44 years.
“It’s an honour to be nominated for the Newcombe Medal this year,” she said.
“Winning the Australian Open in January is something I’m very proud of and ended up being an incredible way to finish my tennis career.
“Being able to win in front of my family, friends and the Aussie fans is something I will never forget. I’m so grateful for the support I have received throughout my career and hope I can now contribute to the Australian tennis community in other ways.”
Kyrgios, who is Australia’s top-ranked male at 22nd in the world, has been nominated for the first time in five years after his incredible season. He won the Australian Open doubles title and reach the Wimbledon final where he lost to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
“Wimbledon was a highlight this year. There were some really memorable matches,” said Kyrgios, who won the Newcombe Medal back in 2014.
“I think I learned a lot about myself and really developed as a person. I was playing great tennis but even more than that, I made huge strides mentally.”
De Minaur is only two spots behind Kyrgios and is looking to add to the Newcombe Medal he shared with Barty in 2018 after a career-best year on tour in which he beat seven top-20 players.
“2022 has been a memorable year. A year in which I’ve won the most matches I have on tour. I’ve played a lot of great tennis throughout the whole year and more importantly, I’ve stayed healthy,” he said.
“If I had to choose one moment, I think it would probably have to be either winning my sixth title in Atlanta or making the final at Davis Cup at the end of the year and getting very close to lifting a Davis Cup title.
“It’s been such an amazing year for Australian tennis and I’m just happy to be a small part of it. Ultimately, it’s great to see such a proud and rich in history nation playing some great tennis and pushing the limits on the world tour.”
The 2022 Australian Tennis Awards will be held in Melbourne on December 12.
Originally published as ‘I made huge strides mentally’: Nick Kyrgios in line to cap incredible year with prestigious award
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