MELBOURNE: Australian showman Nick Kyrgios admitted Wednesday that his tennis career could be ended, but added, “I’m fine with that.”
The gifted but temperamental 28-year-old had knee surgery a year ago and then scrapped hopes to return to Wimbledon after injuring a ligament in his wrist.
He withdrew from the Australian Open due to ongoing fitness issues, although he will be a commentator at the Grand Slam in Melbourne.
He conducted the on-court interview after reigning champion Novak Djokovic defeated Taylor Fritz to advance to the semi-finals on Tuesday. Kyrgios stated that a career in the media was becoming increasingly appealing.
“I sat down with my agent, Stuart Duguid, a couple of days ago to talk about my future,” he wrote in a column for The Age.
“It was an important conversation to have. “I’m at a crossroads in my career, and life after tennis is an exciting prospect for me.”I could travel the world and make a lot of money commentating on sports… that’s a life that many people want.”
Kyrgios, who hit a career high of 13 in the world in 2016 and has previously spoken about his mental health issues, stated last month that he was “exhausted, tired”.
He did not rule out returning to the court, but said that after so many surgeries, “my body may never be the same again”. Even if he makes a comeback, Kyrgios has stated that he will not compete at the Paris Olympics.