Nick Kyrgios says he is “tired” of playing tennis and would walk away from the sport if it was not for his family.
The former Wimbledon finalist, who has pulled out of next month’s Australian Open as he continues to struggle with injuries, said he has no love for the game and only wants to play for “another one to two years” in order to take care of his family.
Kyrgios only played one match in 2023 after undergoing knee surgery at the start of the year and said the recovery process has left him “exhausted”. The 28-year-old has also been sidelined by foot and wrist injuries this season and missed all four grand slam events.
The Australian has previously opened up on his mental health issues and said he contemplated suicide in 2019.
“If it was up to me, I don’t really want to play any more, to be honest. But I have to, almost. I have so much more to give,” Kyrgios told the On Purpose podcast with Jay Shetty.
“I was so close [to winning Wimbledon in 2022] and I don’t even really love the sport, I’m only doing this because I love taking care of my family and my people.”
Kyrgios will miss his home grand slam at the Australian Open for the second year in a row.
"I’m tired. I have had three surgeries now,” he said. “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.
"I only want to play for about another one to two years, be at the top, and go down my own terms.
"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 said a difficult period in 2019, in which he spent time in a psychiatric ward in London following a defeat to Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, has to him questioning how long he can continue his career.
"That accelerated my exhaustion and almost pushed me to the end of my career a bit earlier,” he said. "If I had a normal career and I flew under the radar, I don’t feel I’d feel this way but those couple years really, I think, put a lot on my age.
"It’s just hard. I am tired. I’m tired of playing tennis."
