Kyrgios to bring hot shots, mental toughness into '19

While Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic were scooping up pretty much every title, Nick Kyrgios was quietly chipping away in the background. Of course, he had his fair share of controversy, but the Aussie enjoyed some solid highlights, and hot shots, in 2018.

Kyrgios started the season off strong by winning the title in Brisbane. Already he had surpassed his 2017 season, earning his first trophy since Tokyo in 2016. It didn't hurt that his victory occurred on home soil.

The 23-year-old continued his winning ways into the fourth round at the Australian Open before falling to Grigor Dimitrov. Despite not earning another title all year, Kyrgios managed to go deep into a few tournaments, such as the semifinals of Queen's Club and Stuttgart.

While he had flashes of brilliance, Kyrgios also struggled mightily with injuries and after losing to Roger Federer in the third round of the US Open, went just 2-3 in the fall season.

Next year will be huge for him as he looks to return to the Top 20, especially if he gets his mental game in check. He recently told the *Canberra Times* that he has been "starting to see some psychologists and trying to get on top of [his] mental health."

"I know I'm very lucky to be able to travel around and play tennis," he said. "I've been with a couple of things that haven't been easy this year, but I'm sure it'll be OK next year."

Ranked No. 35, he will be unseeded at the Australian Open for the first time in three years.