Nick Kyrgios addresses retirement rumours in eye-opening new revelation about family
Speculation is rife that the Aussie tennis player won't ever get back on court after his withdrawal from the Australian Open.
Nick Kyrgios has revealed he only plays tennis to help and support his family, and will only be playing for another one or two years before he retires. Rumours have been swirling that the 28-year-old won't play professionally ever again after he announced his withdrawal from the Australian Open last weekend.
Kyrgios has only played one match at ATP level in 2023 due to knee and wrist injuries and missed all four grand slams. He confirmed the sad news last Saturday that he'll miss a fifth-consecutive grand slam and won't be playing the Australian Open.
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His lengthy absence has perpetuated the theory that he won't ever return to the court and is on the verge of retiring. But speaking on Tuesday, the former World No.13 said he's not retiring just yet - but will only be around for another one or two years.
" I only wanna play for about another one to two years and and be at the top and go down my own terms," he said the 'On Purpose with Jay Shetty' podcast. "Like I would hate to have another surgery or anything like that. So I think I've still got the ability to have a good one to two years and then that's it.
"I think I'll be at peace with everything I've achieved. I'm gonna have to just say to everyone out there who wants me to play more, 'You're just gonna have to be OK with me not playing anymore'."
Nick Kyrgios doesn't want to be playing tennis anymore
Tellingly, Kyrgios said he doesn't miss playing tennis when he's away from the tour and admitted he only plays professionally to help his family. His mother has battled illness in recent years and is said to be struggling with her health.
"When I step away from the sport for so long, I actually don't miss it, so that's scary for me," he said. "You know, most athletes, when they get pulled away from their sport through injury or take time off, they're like really hungry to get back.
"With me, it's like I've always kind of known that life has so many cool things about it, and with tennis, we're travelling seven, eight months a year (so) I barely see my family, my friends. During this time, I get to see (and) spend time with my partner more, my family, do all these things that I've been missing out on.
"It's like, 'Wow, my life's amazing now', but you know, I do miss playing tennis a bit, it's all I've ever known since I was seven years old, my family loves it (and) all my friends know me as Nick Kyrgios, tennis player. So I do miss it a little bit, but at the same time, I've really enjoyed the time off. I'm only doing this because I love taking care of my family, my people, and I want to do this so I can prove that no matter how much more of an underdog you are, you can achieve something like winning Wimbledon. "
Kyrgios, who made the final at Wimbledon in 2022 but lost to Novak Djokovic, has previously admitted he probably would have walked away from tennis if he had won. This week he said: "I guess that's the rat race of life, you know, how much is enough? I feel like I'm very content with my life now. I have more than enough (money) to enjoy. If it was up to me ... I don't really want to play anymore to be honest, but I have to almost, I've got so much more to give."
Discussing the situation at the Newcombe Medal on Monday night, Aussie tennis great Todd Woodbridge said: "It'll be interesting to see what unfolds over the next six months to see whether he gets back out on court. He seems quite interested in working in media and different spaces, and we'll see whether he gets back because he's still got too much to give on the court."
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