Kyle Edmund eyes ‘exciting’ future as his US Open conqueror Novak Djokovic joins those tipping Britain’s world no 84 for top 20

KYLE EDMUND believes his future is “exciting” — and he is the not the only one.

Novak Djokovic taught  the Yorkshire lad some harsh lessons in a straight-sets win which ended his breakthrough US Open.

But the world No 1 agrees with those who are tipping his opponent to become a top 20 player, if not better.

Djokovic said: “Sure, if he keeps going the same path he’s on right now, there is no doubt  he has quality and big chance to get there.

“He knows that there is work ahead of him. He needs to stay committed.

“But he does seem like a  player that is very committed, very professional, down-to-earth, nice guy, good manners. So I’m quite confident he’s going to get there soon.”

Djokovic blew Edmund, 21, away in the first two sets of a 6-2 6-1 6-4 win, playing almost flawlessly himself and taking advantage of a rash of errors from an opponent making his debut in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest court in Grand Slam tennis.

The super Serb, 29, added: “I think he was overwhelmed by the stage. But his forehand is really big. When he sets it up very nicely, he can hit a very good forehand from all over the court.

“It was his first match in the biggest stadium, he made a lot of errors.

“But generally he played a good tournament. He beat Gasquet and Isner.

“For someone his age he’s showing mental maturity, no doubt. I am sure we going to see more of him in the future.”

Edmund said: “It’s been a great tournament. Loads and loads of positives, the way I’ve been playing.

“It’s given me a lot more belief in my game,  to actually do it on a big stage against some good players.

“The good thing is, I feel like there’s a lot of stuff I can improve on.

“It’s like a constant process of trying to get better. You know, you see how well Djokovic moves. That’s the standard he’s putting out there.

“I’ve got to get better at my movement. I’ve got to get better at my shot management, when to pull the trigger, when to rally.

With Edmund and Dan Evans set to reach for career-high world rankings in the 50s after their success in New York, the Andy Murray-shaped hole which will one day open up in British tennis no longer looks so big.