Kyrgios will retire if he wins a Grand Slam title
The Australian star has confirmed he will retire from tennis if he wins a Grand Slam tournament, as he struggles with his current lifestyle.
Sometimes, athletes retire at the right time, while others prefer to keep competing even if they are well past their prime.
All-time great Roger Federer decided to call it quits some months ago, as injuries started to take their toll on him for too long, and probably was the right time to do it while another veteran icon, Venus Williams, announced she would be competing at the Australian Open at the age of 42.
Nick Kyrgios, however, is willing to take the opposite side of the road, following his compatriot Ash Barty’s example, as he has confirmed he will retire from the sport if he gets to lift a major.
The Aussie, 27, is probably at the peak of his career or maybe he isn’t even there yet, but the controversial player admitted he’s constantly struggling with his top-player lifestyle, full of trips that keep him away from his family.
“100 percent! It is a lot of training and a lot of work. I just want to be able to eat whatever I want and drink what I want to drink, and just relax. It is a hard lifestyle”, he said when asked if he would retire in case he won a Grand Slam singles title.
Will Kyrgios retire this year?
2023 has just started, and Kyrgios, seen as one of the most talented players in the ATP tour, will have the first of four chances of fulfilling his desire when he plays the first major of the season.
Moreover, he will be playing in front of his fans in Melbourne, so that could give the player an extra boost of confidence and motivation.
“I’m going to try and do it this year and hopefully I can do it, but it will be hard. I am one of the best players in the world so I’m going to go into the Australian Open, any tournament, with confidence”, said the Aussie.
Kyrgios has longtime been criticized for not taking advantage of his talent and not taking tennis as seriously as he should, but a more focused version of himself came out at Wimbledon last year, where he reached the final, ultimately losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.