Kyrgios' major schedule flip at girlfriend's request

1 year ago 77

Nick Kyrgios volition marque his long-awaited instrumentality to Roland-Garros, with the enigmatic prima confirming helium volition see the Paris tourney successful his docket adjacent twelvemonth - but lone astatine his spouse Costeen Hatzi's request.

Kyrgios has not contested the clay-court large since 2017 and has ne'er progressed beyond the 3rd circular successful his erstwhile 5 appearances.

He will, however, participate successful 2023, admitting that his comeback had much to bash with Hatzi's keen involvement to walk clip successful France than playing tennis.

"My woman wants to cognize Paris, truthful I'm going to play astatine Roland-Garros 2023," helium said.

"It volition beryllium bully for maine to gain immoderate much money, though I would person preferred to enactment astatine home."

In pursuit of a maiden expansive slam rubric adjacent season pursuing his heavy runs astatine Wimbledon and the US Open this year, Kyrgios insisted helium has the makings to excel astatine the tournament.

"I cognize I tin bash large results connected clay," helium said.

"I bushed Roger [Federer], [Stan] Wawrinka, I played a last successful Estoril… My miss wants to get to cognize the metropolis truthful I volition person to spell this year."

In April, the 27-year-old won his archetypal lucifer connected clay since 2019 erstwhile helium defeated American Mackenzie McDonald successful his opening lucifer astatine the ATP 250 tourney successful Houston.

Kyrgios has ne'er been a immense instrumentality of clay-court events, repeatedly stating the reddish ungraded is not his preferred playing surface.

In 2021, helium branded the 2nd large the "worst expansive slam" and called for it to beryllium removed from the calendar.

Speaking astatine the Diriyah Tennis Cup successful Saudi Arabia, helium claimed the tribunal aboveground featured excessively overmuch connected the ATP calendar.

"I've said it galore times and I'm saying it again now," helium said.

"There are excessively galore clay-court tournaments connected the calendar. I spot guys successful the apical 100 that I don't adjacent know, I wouldn't recognise them if I crossed them connected the street, and they're determination lone due to the fact that of the clay tournaments.

"I deliberation it's crazy."

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