Melbourne VIC, Australia, 25 October 2017 | tennis.com.au

Nick Kyrgios has revealed some of the valuable elements in the culture of the Australian Davis Cup team that have benefitted both him as a player and brought his compatriots closer together.

Writing for PlayersVoice, Kyrgios lauded captain Lleyton Hewitt for a number of innovations that have created a strong team morale.

Kyrgios noted Hewitt’s creation of a WhatsApp group – of which “all the Davis Cup boys” are a part – as something which had helped him feel the support of his countrymen.

“After my semifinal win over Alexander Zverev in Beijing, my phone lit up. It happens all the time. It’s all the Davis Cup players and coaches congratulating you, urging you on. It’s like having a worldwide support group with you all the time,” he wrote.

“It’s not just for blokes like me either. When one of the younger guys wins a Challenger event in, say, Asia we’re all on there offering congratulations, encouragement and support. It’s huge for the young guys. It’s huge for all of us, to be honest

“It’s mostly tennis-related, but not always. When my grandfather died in April, I messaged the group to tell them how sad I was and that I was struggling a bit. The amount of support from the boys was crazy.

“A year or two ago, the culture was good. But it’s gone to another level. When everyone’s practicing, we’re all out there watching and picking up balls for each other. We’re invested in each other. It’s a culture of selflessness.”

Kyrgios said it was this team culture that left him feeling “rejuvenated and refreshed” when he returned to the grind of the tour following a tie.

> read Kyrgios’ full feature at PlayersVoice