Homesick Nick Kyrgios has dropped a hint about retiring from tennis if he wins the US Open this year – on the same day has posted a heartwarming photo of his gravely ill mum back in Australia.
The 27-year-old Aussie sparked a media frenzy after his win against world No.1 Daniil Medvedev on Monday when he said he would ‘never have to play tennis again’ if he wins the grand slam.
Kyrgios explained how his motivation to win a maiden grand slam title ties into his yearning to return home to see his family.
Nick Kyrgios (pictured right) shakes hands with Daniil Medvedev after beating him in the 4th round of the US Open. Kyrgios has joked with reporters that he may never play tennis again if he wins the grand slam
Kyrgios has posted a touching photo of his seriously ill mum along with the caption, ‘Makes me so sad and so happy at the same time’. The Aussie is very close with his family and wishes he could spend more time with them
‘It’s the last, biggest tournament of the year,’ he said.
‘We’ve got to try and just tough it out and keep pushing each other, keep being positive.
‘Next week we’re going home. But three more matches potentially, then we never have to play tennis again.’
Just hours after his win against Medvedev – which Todd Woodbridge described as the ‘best match of his career’ – Kyrgios posted a photo of his seriously ill mother Norlaila at home on a lounge with a blanket covering her.
The caption posted with it reads, ‘Makes me so sad and so happy at the same time’.
Kyrgios’ mother is battling terminal cancer and failing kidneys and has been hospitalised over the last few months.
Nick Kyrgios pictured in happier times pictured with his brother, father and mother
The Canberran is very close with his family – including brother Christos, sister Halimah and father Giorgos – and has previously revealed he didn’t know how long he had left in tennis as he grappled with the desire to spend more time with them.
Following the Wimbledon final, where Kyrgios came up short against Novak Djokovic, he mentioned that if he’d won he ‘would have struggled with motivation’.
‘I’ve been told my entire life winning Wimbledon is the ultimate achievement,’ he said at the time.
‘It’s taken me 10 years in my career to finally get to the point of playing for a grand slam and coming up short.
‘If I had won that, coming back for other tournaments, like 250s [the lowest tier of ATP tournaments], I would have really struggled. I kind of achieved the greatest pinnacle of what you can achieve in tennis.’
American tennis legend John McEnroe has said he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Kyrgios retired after winning the US Open. He also called the 27-year-old Aussie a ‘genius on the court’
American tennis legend John McEnroe has said he wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Kyrgios retired at 27 after winning at Flushing Meadows because Ash Barty made a similar call when she retired at just 25 after winning the Australian Open.
‘Well I’ve got some bad news for you. Ash Barty [retired after winning a major], so it’s not impossible to think that he could do that,’ McEnroe told Eurosport.
‘We hope he won’t do that because there’s a phrase, I think it’s worldwide – better late than never.
‘That applies to Nick, because he wasn’t professional for a long time, he played a lot of matches where he wasn’t giving it his all, and now you see what he’s capable of when he does. And he trains and he’s in shape and the guy’s phenomenal.’
Kyrgios is pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi. The Aussie is now the favourite to win the men’s singles after Rafael Nadal crashed out
The American great said Kyrgios is entering the ‘prime’ of his career and is a strong chance of winning the title at the US Open given his tremendous form and serving ability.
‘First of all, I’ve said this before, the guy has got one of the greatest serves in the history of tennis,’ McEnroe said.
‘The guy was serving at 70 per cent – I don’t think people realise that’s the highest on tour, how big he serves, how good his second serve is – now he is backing it up big time. If he plays like he did last night, he is going to win the tournament.
‘The guy is a genius on the court, he doesn’t need a coach, he did an unbelievable job tactically. Medvedev was throwing a lot at him – I was saying Medvedev will play long rallies, test him physically and he’ll win most of those points. Guess what? He didn’t even win most of those [longer] points.
McEnroe says Kyrgios has got one of the greatest serves in the history of tennis and if he continues to play like has been, he will win the tournament
‘When Kyrgios gets down on his opponent’s serve he lets it go a little bit, paces himself, manages himself well but he’s also a lot fitter than he has ever been.
‘Nick needs to be comfortable with the team that is around him. It’s a tough job sometimes being in Kyrgios’ box – he’s in such a great place mentally and it’s like ‘he’s figured it out’.
‘He’s 27, he’s coming into his prime. I like him, he moves the needle. I’m glad he turned it around and I am only sad he is not playing in the Laver Cup. We’re still begging.’
Kyrgios will play Russian Karen Khachenov on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) for a spot in the semi-finals.
He is now the clear favourite to win the men’s singles title after Rafael Nadal was ousted from the tournament in a shock loss to Frances Tiafoe.
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