by Nick Kyrgios has doubled down on his bet that he will retire if he wins a grand slam next year, saying years of heavy travel have left him “tired”.
Kyrgios had his best grand slam run of his career when he finished second behind Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon this year, and has reached the last eight at the US Open.
“I hope I win a slam and retire,” the Australian athlete told reporters in Dubai earlier this week.
Speaking to Eurosport, world number 22 insisted his words were serious, saying his privacy had been damaged by the time he spent traveling to attend ATP Tour events.
Asked if he would really make time for his career should he win his first major singles title, Kyrgios said: “Honestly, I probably would.
“Especially as an Australian, there is a lot of travel, a lot of time away from family and friends.
“You’re missing family milestones, you don’t really have a normal life. No other non-Australian tennis player understands that.”
Citing the pressure of being away from his homeland for a long time, Kyrgios believes that few athletes can match the sacrifices he has made throughout his career.
“It’s easy for a European or American player to lose or win a tournament, then you take a five-hour flight home and spend a week there before the next event,” said Kyrgios.
“Whereas as an Australian you do four to seven month travel blocks. To be honest, I don’t think it’s healthy.
“There is no other real athlete in the world, in any sport, who has done it alone for seven months.
“Honestly, I’m tired. It’s just stressful. The more you win, the more success you get, the more demands you make off the court. People expect more from you.
“People say ‘why are you complaining about this?’ It’s not what they think, you live in hotels with suitcases, it’s not like you’re on vacation.
“You have to go to the tennis courts and train. The lifestyle is pretty hectic. If that happens, I’ll probably do it too.” [retire]To be honest.”
Kyrgios has advanced to the last eight only once at the Australian Open, and as his next home slam approaches, the 27-year-old is not too enthusiastic.
Asked if he would feel refreshed when the Melbourne Major race starts next month, Kyrgios said: “Probably not. There’s some excitement, but to be honest it’s probably 95 percent stress, five percent excitement.”
