Nick Kyrgios claims ‘I’m not going to conform – what am I, a robot?’ as charismatic Australian vows to ‘go out and show people a good time’ and says mental health will be his priority when he makes Wimbledon return
- Nick Kyrgios wants to go and entertain fans when he makes Wimbledon return
- The Australian is set to take part in first Grand Slam outside Australia since 2019
- The 26-year-old says entertaining and maintaining will be most important thing
Nick Kyrgios has vowed to ‘go and show people a good time’ and says his mental health will be his main priority when he makes his Wimbledon return next week.
The Australian is set to take part in his first Grand Slam outside of Australia since the 2019 US Open when he takes on France’s Ugo Hembert in the first round.
It will also be his first action since the Australian Open in February, when he lost in a thrilling five-set encounter with Dominic Thiem in the third round on home soil.
Nick Kygrios has vowed to ‘go out and entertain people’ when he makes returns to Wimbledon
The Australian will take part in his first action since Australian Open third round in February
Kyrgios has been sparing in the events he plays following his decision to end his 2020 season early and choosing to stay in his homeland following the coronavirus pandemic.
The 26-year-old is labelled a great entertainer for his flamboyant playing style and outspoken demeanour, and Kyrgios claims the excitement he brings is what fans desperately crave when they go to matches.
When asked by the Telegraph about his goals for his Wimbledon return, Kyrgios explained: ‘I want to go out there and have some fun. I never played this game for the money, or the fame, or any s*** like that. I just wanted to go out and give people a good time.
‘I know that there’s a lot of fans out there who are wanting a bit more excitement, and I know that I can give that to them. I am not going to conform. What am I, a robot?’
The Australian has not taken part in an overseas Grand Slam since US Open in November 2019
But despite his mercurial nature, Kyrgios has opened up on his mental health struggles which saw him take a break from tennis when after the 2020 season returned following its suspension due to the pandemic.
He is not the only player to be vocal about their mental health struggles, with US Open champion Naomi Osaka pulling out of the French Open and Wimbledon after revealing she suffered from bouts of depression.
And with Wimbledon the next stage on his return, Kyrgios is adamant his priority will be his mental health and called on more to be done on the negative impact of social media.
The 26-year-old vowed to prioritise his mental health after opening up on his struggles
‘I want to make sure that I’m doing the right thing by my body as well as my mental health, so that’s why I’ve taken it slow’, said Kyrgios.
‘I’m gonna put me as a human first rather than the athlete,’ he tells me. ‘It can be so easy for an athlete, or just a general person, to fall into the noise on social media, the negativity. I don’t think mental illness in general is getting enough attention.’
On Osaka, Kyrgios added, ‘A champion like herself still struggles. She’s under a massive amount of spotlight.
Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Wimbledon to take some personal and family time
‘When I look on social media and I see all the negative comments, it’s taken me a long time to not let that affect me. It’s still a work in progress. It’s one click away from seeing all this negativity and it weighs down on you.’
The Wimbledon Championships kick off on Monday with the two-week Grand Slam concluding on 11 July.