Nick Kyrgios complains of marijuana smell during US Open second round win
He said he did it to distract himself from the aches that plagued him in the semi-final and finals.
But his coach suggested there was “something wrong with him” for not following through on his promises over the past couple of weeks.
Kyrgios did not respond when asked whether it was something more serious, and he did not mention it when he spoke of his return to the US Open on Tuesday.
“I think when you have a bad day in the office, you’re going to have a bad day on the court,” he said. “And that’s just how it goes.
“I’m here to win. That’s it. No, I don’t want to talk about it other than to say I’ve got a lot of respect for the game and hopefully I can get back soon.”
Rafael Nadal was also on the verge of defeat on Tuesday but won his first set against Kei Nishikori, the first French Open champion since Andy Murray in 2014.
He was in the same group as Kyrgios, but with a big lead over the Australian in the second round.
“No one is going to beat Kyrgios, not for a month,” said Nadal in a news conference. “At this point, who has been playing the best tennis? Rafa.”
It was a good set, but Nadal won it 7-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Nishikori showed his depth while losing in the first and third sets to Jürgen Melzer in straight sets.
“I will not say that my match was easy, but I will tell you that I enjoyed every moment of it,” Nishikori said. “I was able to win a set and then another and then I had to change it around.”
On Tuesday, Nadal was in front of his idol, Roger Federer, who ended his 22-year career with a straight-sets victory over fellow former No 1 Novak Djokovic.
“This is my first time playing Fed