Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios says he no longer wants to play tennis but feels a duty to continue his career for a couple more years.
The Australian has endured a frustrating 2023 season which has been dominated by injury problems. Kyrgios has only been able to play one match this year which was on the grass in Stuttgart and now doesn’t have an official ranking. He underwent knee surgery in January and then tore a ligament in his wrist during the summer.
Kyrgios’ woes will continue into the new year after he confirmed his withdrawal from next month’s Australian Open due to not being able to get back to his full fitness in time for the Grand Slam. It is the second year in a row that he has missed the event.
“If it was up to me, I don’t really want to play any more to be honest,” Kyrgios told the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast.
“I have to [keep playing]. I’ve got so much more to give but, for me, I don’t feel like playing any more.”
The 28-year-old admits his physical struggles and subsequent recovery battles have taken a toll on him.
“I’m tired. I have had three surgeries now. I’m only 28 years old, I always wanted to have a family and not be in pain. When I get up, I can’t walk without pain. It’s a tough gig,” he said.
Kyrgios has been ranked as high as 13th in the world and has won seven ATP titles. Besides his run to the Wimbledon final last year, he has also reached the quarter-final stage of a Grand Slam on three other occasions. He has recorded 27 wins over top 10 players so far in his career and earned more than $12M in prize money.
As for what the future has in store for him, Kyrgios says it is likely that he will step away from the sport within the next couple of years. Although the tennis star still believes he can make an impact on the sport before retirement.
“I only want to play for about another one to two years, be at the top, and go down my own terms,” Kyrgios said.
“I would hate to have another surgery or anything like that. 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 and I’m going to have to just say to everyone out there who wants me to play more, ‘you’re just going to have to be OK with me not playing any more’.”
Kyrgios’ latest remarks come shortly after he opened up about his previous mental health problems during an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored on TalkTV. Revealing details about his experiences with self-harm, he hopes that sharing his story will help others.
It is not yet known which tournament Kyrgios will start his comeback at.
