Despite not earning any ranking points from his Wimbledon final, Nick Kyrgios feels like a true contender as he begins his pre-US Open run-up next week in Washington.
The Australian – and the rest of the field – lost out due to the ATP ban on ranking points for the Grand Slam in retaliation for Wimbledon’s ban on Russian players.
Nevertheless, Kyrgios, who withdrew with left knee niggles from this week’s tournament in Atlanta, is keen to show off his new status as a Grand Slam finalist.
“Right now I’ll be 60 in the world (actually 47th), but I always feel like a Top 10,” he said.
“”It’s been like that my whole career. My opponents know perfectly well that whether I’m seeded or not, it’s all up to me when we meet.
“If I’m confident and I can play well, they don’t really have much to do.”
Kyrgios will follow up Washington with a wild card entry into the Cincinnati Masters, which follows the Masters 1000 in Montreal.
Had Wimbledon awarded ranking points, Kyrgios would be comfortably placed inside the ATP Top 20.
