We are just three days away from the start of the third Grand Slam of the year – Wimbledon. While all eyes will be on Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, the Swiss has singled out Nick Kyrgios as a top contender for the third Grand Slam of the year.
The Australian is rated as one of the most promising tennis stars in the world right now but he has not been able to live up to all the hype so far. Kyrgios, who won the boys' singles event at the 2013 Australian Open and the boys' doubles event at the 2013 Wimbledon, will aim to become the first Australian to win Wimbledon in 15 years.
Also read: World No.1 Andy Murray a major doubt for Wimbledon
While Federer is not sure if Kyrgios can go all the way after a season that has seen him get injured, he said that the 22-year-old player has already proven that he's capable of a breakout tournament if his body and mind hold up.
"Just play focused, play inspired and believe in himself. Yeah, he's one of top contenders to surprise anybody. He's got a great game on grass. He's going to be really tough to beat," AAP quoted Federer as saying.
Kyrgios' 2017 tennis season has not been all that great, with his best performances coming when he reached the semi-finals of the Marseille Open, Mexican Open, Indian Wells and the Miami Open. While he is yet to win a tournament this year, he has defeated some big players, including Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
However, the Australian is yet to reach the semi-finals of a Grand Slam tournament, with his best results coming when he reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in 2015 and Wimbledon in 2014. Federer also asked Kyrgios not to think too far ahead at this point and to focus on getting to the semi-finals first.
"He's played great this season when he's on, so I hope we'll see that Nick this week — or the next couple of weeks. To win the tournament, I mean look, he's never been to the semis of a slam, just a quarter. So that's the next hurdle for him," Federer said.
"So I think before talking about winning and all that stuff, that's what he has to do because he will have to upset somebody to get to the semis."
Despite what Federer said, Kyrgios has already stated that he thinks he can win Wimbledon this year. The Australian said he might need a bit of luck and everything will have to fall in place perfectly but apart from that he actually believes he can go all the way.
