“The more he wins, the better I look”: Nick Kyrgios on Novak Djokovic

NEW YORK—US Open Fan Week may be over, but that justr means it's officially time to kick off the final Grand Slam of the year. The city, as it always does, came to life for tennis, with the Park Lane Hotel hosting Nick Kyrgios, Naomi Osaka, and Ons Jabeur.

Who is Kyrgios rooting for? The Aussie gave Baseline the exclusive—and his reason for it.

“I hope Novak wins it because it makes me look better since I lost my final to Novak,” he said, referencing their 2022 Wimbledon final. “The more he wins, the better I look in the future.”

Before joining in some friendly yet competitive ping pong action, Kyrgios also spoke about another contender for the title, four-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz.

“I saw Carlos Alcaraz today, had a little slip in practice,” Kyrgios said. “So there’s so many things that need to happen to win a Grand Slam. I’ve never won a singles one, made a final, but the stars need to align so they need a lot of luck.”

Osaka, a two-time champion in Queens, also has her eye on another trophy. She’s competing at the Open for the first time since 2022.

“It will take a lot to win the US Open, I’m trying to take it match by match,” she said. “I think my first match [against Jelena Ostapenko] is going to be very difficult but I’m being really confident in myself.”

First-round matches are already underway, with Osaka and Ostapenko scheduled for Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday.