The tennis tour has been handling a lot of issues lately. Players are coming forward with their share of struggles off the court. The latest player to share his troubles has been Nick Kyrgios. He has been fighting the battles off the court this season. Kyrgios had been troubled with injuries and only played a single match this year. The Australian also spoke about the racism he faced on the tour.
The 28-year-old was talking to Piers Morgan about his past experiences. Kyrgios shared his feelings about racism and said that he feels it is a silly topic. He said that, in the end, we are human beings. Kyrgios said, “Some of the legends of our sport, told me and my family to go back where came from.” He went on to say that he has developed tough skin over the past few years.
“Some of the legends of our sport have told me and my family to go back to where we came from.”
Nick Kyrgios tells Piers Morgan about some of the racism he’s faced.@NickKyrgios | @piersmorgan | @TalkTV | #PMU pic.twitter.com/OY59zqcrf3
— Piers Morgan Uncensored (@PiersUncensored) December 1, 2023
It has been one of the few instances where Kyrgios has talked about racism. He also stated that he does not like to talk about it and hopes it won’t be a subject to discuss in the future. Kyrgios has had a different experience this year as he was out of the tour but was still following the matches. He even made his debut as a commentator for the Tennis channel during the Nitto ATP Finals.
Nick Kyrgios reveals the disturbing racism situation in Australia
Kyrgios has often spoken about the state of affairs in Australia in terms of racism. His father, Giorgos, is from Greece, and his mother, Norlaila’ Nill’, was born in Gombak, Malaysia. Norlaila hails from the Selangor royal family but moved to Australia in her 20s. She had met Giorgos in Australia as the couple settled down together. Kyrgios has thus faced difficult situations due to his mixed heritage.
The former world No. 13 feels that Australia is one of the most racist countries. He said, “I have dealt with bad racism. Australia is a pretty racist country in general, one of the most racist countries in the world.” Kyrgios said that he had friends who were from different ethnicities. He explained that it doesn’t matter what skin color a person is as long as everyone is united.
Nick Kyrgios on racism in Australia:
“I have dealt with bad racism. Australia is a pretty racist country in general, one of the most racist countries in the world. Some of the most iconic people in sport in Australia have told me & my family to go back where we came from” pic.twitter.com/NILz2jTjZa
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) July 2, 2023
Kyrgios is expected to return to the tour during the Australian Open next month. It has been six months since he played a match on tour. Fans are waiting to welcome him to his hometown in a few weeks. Kyrgios has been working hard and going to the gym to get ready for the tour. He will be hoping to notch up big wins next season, as it will be his 11th year on the ATP tour.