Tennis star Nick Kyrgios withdraws from the Olympics, mentions lack of fans and injury

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics and said playing without spectators “doesn’t feel right”.

Kyrgios says the abdominal injury was also a factor in his withdrawal from the games starting July 23rd.

“It’s a decision I didn’t take lightly,” Kyrgios posted on Twitter on Friday (Australian time).

Just hours before Kyrgios ’statement, the organizers of the Olympics banned all the crowds from playing in the midst of Tokyo’s ongoing state of emergency because of the coronavirus.

Kyrgios claimed his “dream” was to compete in the Olympics.

Olympics. pic.twitter.com/ydj1V7jh2t

Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 8, 2021

“And I know I may never get this opportunity again,” he wrote.

“But I also know myself. The idea of ​​playing in front of empty stadiums doesn’t just sit with me. It’s never been.”

The 26-year-old said he was also looking for stomach injuries that forced him to withdraw from a mid-third-round match at Wimbledon five days ago.

“I also don’t want to take the opportunity away from a healthy Aussie athlete who is willing to represent the country,” he posted.

“I also take all the time I need to get my body right.”

After Wimbledon’s withdrawal, he told the gathering media that he was unsure of his immediate future.

“Look, I don’t know about the Olympics or Atlanta yet. If I’m going to play the Olympics, I’ve said it several times, I want to do it the right way. I want to do it with a full crowd, with my guests there. I want to do it is the Olympics for me, “he said.

“The Olympics, the way they go on, are not the Olympics. It’s not a good thing for me. With these limitations, I don’t want to remember the Olympics if I only play once. We’ll see what I do.”

The Australian tennis hierarchy is now meeting to discuss replacing Kyrgios, having first selected 11 players, including Ash Barty and Alex de Minaur.