Australia’s chances of winning a medal off tennis at the Rio Olympics suffered a major setback after the country’s top-ranked male tennis player, Nick Kyrgios, pulled out of the sport’s mega-event following his conflict with the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
“It is with a heavy heart that I have had to make a decision not to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro,” Kyrgios wrote on his website. “Coming to this decision has been a lengthy and difficult process, and I am extremely disappointed to have been put in this unfortunate position.”
This comes after a rough patch between Kyrgios and AOC concerning the former’s conduct, with the Committee’s chief Kitty Chiller often criticizing the 21-year-old for his volatile on-court behavior.
Not only that, he had been served with a notice for turning up in defense of compatriot Bernard Tomic, who was accused of tanking during the tournament in Madrid earlier this year.
Disapproving of the AOC’s actions, Kyrgios said: “Unfortunately, while I have expressed every intention of trying to win a medal for my country in Rio, it’s very clear to me that the AOC has other plans.
“AOC’s unfair and unjust treatment of me over the last four weeks, as well as the organization’s crystal clear position on whether they want me to be a part of the Australian Olympic team, has solidified my final decision.”
