Nick Kyrgios admits tennis career "may be over"
<p>Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios is seriously considering retirement as he revealed that he is "at a crossroads" in his career. </p>
<p>In a column written for <em>The Sydney Morning Herald, </em>the <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">28-year-old </span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> said that despite his desire to compete at the highest level, he might never make it back to playing professional tennis. </span></p>
<p>He also said that he has enjoyed being away from the courts doing the media rounds.</p>
<p>"I sat down with my agent, Stuart Duguid, a couple of days ago to talk about my future," he wrote.</p>
<p>"The reality is, there is a part of me that knows my time in the sport may be over. And I'm OK with that.</p>
<p>"It's a conversation that needed to be had. I'm at a crossroads in my career and have reached a point where life after tennis is a prospect that excites me."</p>
<p>He also added that despite knowing he can still compete for titles, his body is letting him down, as he continues to recover from his <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/nick-kyrgios-pulls-out-of-australian-open-a-day-before-first-match" target="_blank" rel="noopener">knee injury</a> in January 2023.</p>
<p>"I sit there and watch some of the players on tour and know within myself that this generation is not as strong as some of the players I have gone up against," he wrote. </p>
<p>"I know I can be one of the best in the world and win major tournaments -- if my body lets me. The fire still burns, but it's not my everything."</p>
<p>The <span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;">2022 Wimbledon finalist</span><span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> also confirmed that he won't be making himself available for this year's </span>Paris<span style="font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, 'Open Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"> Olympics, saying that the </span>treatment he got from the Australian Olympic Committee in the lead-up to the 2016 Rio Games was one of the key factors. </p>
<p>"I was No. 13 at the time and had a genuine chance at winning a medal. For them to forbid me from representing my country for behavioural reasons is something that I just can't forget," he said.</p>
<p>He added that his "mentality has changed", and despite still having the desire to play for his country, his decision is final. </p>
<p>Kyrgios has barely been on court after withdrawing from last year's Australian Open, but he has been commentating on the tournament for Eurosport, adding that his future may be in the box, rather than on the court.</p>
<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>
