Nick Kyrgios has confirmed he’ll be again competing once more at subsequent 12 months’s French Open after a six-year absence – all as a result of his girlfriend needs to see Paris.
Australia’s Wimbledon finalist has given the European clay court docket slog a large berth for years as it is an excessive amount of like exhausting work.
He as soon as even famously dismissed Roland Garros as being the worst grand slam of all, saying the occasion “sucked” and must be kicked off the calendar.
But it seems love has conquered his loathing of the crimson stuff.
“Yes, I’m playing the French Open, my girlfriend (Costeen Hatzi) wants to see Paris, so why not?” Kyrgios informed reporters in Riyadh on Thursday after getting knocked out within the first spherical of the Diriyah Tennis Cup exhibition occasion.
“Pick up some more money (at Paris) … I’ve played well on clay, I’ve beaten (Roger) Federer, (Stan) Wawrinka, I’ve played a final on clay (in Estoril in 2015) but usually at that time of year, I like spending time at home.
“Because if I do not, then I’m travelling for eight months a 12 months, it is an excessive amount of.
“But she hasn’t seen Paris – so why not?”
The final of Kyrgios’s 5 appearances at Roland Garros got here in 2017 when he bought to the second spherical. Twice, he is bought to the third spherical, however no additional.
And it is going to virtually definitely be his solely outing on the clay subsequent 12 months.
“There’s too many events on clay, I’ve said this over and over again. There are players in the top 100 who I don’t even know their faces or their names, and they’ve only played on clay, it’s crazy.”
But Kyrgios shall be completely satisfied the Paris occasion will characteristic all the most effective gamers, together with the Russian and Belarusian gamers who had been banned from this 12 months’s Wimbledon.
“I want (Russian) guys like (Daniil) Medevev, (Andrey) Rublev, (Karen) Khachanov, some of our best players, at tournaments,” he mentioned.
“As a competitor, I want to be playing at all the tournaments with all the best players, and I think Australia has noticed that. Coming up to the Australian Open, we want Novak (Djokovic) there this time, and that’s what we’ve done.
“We’ve mentioned, ‘look the game’s higher with these gamers, why not have them there?’
“We’re tennis players, we’re not political people, we’re just tennis tournaments trying to give fans entertainment.
“Sport brings individuals collectively, and I do not assume it ought to divide individuals – I believe it ought to have all the highest tennis gamers there, having enjoyable and placing on a present.”
There should be some show at the Riyadh doubles with Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas, following their singles defeats to Cameron Norrie, now teaming up on Friday in the doubles.
At Wimbledon in July, the pair were famously at daggers drawn as Kyrgios won an X-rated affair full of code violations and feuding.
Kyrgios tried to get the Greek defaulted for smashing the ball into the crowd, almost hitting a spectator, while Tsitsipas ended up accusing the Australian of being a “bully” with a “very evil aspect” to him.
But asked about the prospect of getting drawn to play alongside Tsitsipas on Friday, Kyrgios had no qualms. “Would be nice,” he mentioned.
