Content Kyrgios OK if tennis career is over

Nick Kyrgios admits heā€™s OK about the prospect of never playing professional tennis again.

Unranked after slipping out of the worldā€™s top 1000 following just one on tour match in 16 months, Kyrgios says heā€™s enjoying life as a commentator and talk show host and can see that as his fulltime future going forward.

ā€œI sat down with my agent, Stuart Duguid, a couple of days ago to talk about my future.

ā€œThe reality is, there is a part of me that knows my time in the sport may be over. And Iā€™m OK with that,ā€ the 2022 Wimbledon finalist wrote in a Nine newspaper column.

ā€œItā€™s a conversation that needed to be had. Iā€™m at a crossroads in my career and have reached a point where life after tennis is a prospect that excites me.

ā€œItā€™s why my manager brought it up. He said, ā€˜This could be you from now on if you want it to beā€™.

ā€œI could travel the world making really good money commentating on the sport, doing things like I am now with my talk show interviewing guys like Gordon Ramsay and Mike Tyson.ā€

The 28-year-old believes heā€™s already doing what many players would love to be doing.

ā€œThey donā€™t have the global reach that I do,ā€ he said.

ā€œOtherwise, they would be doing it too.

ā€œTheir entire world revolves around playing tennis, and thatā€™s never been me.ā€

Kyrgios contemplating retirement is no great revelation.

The one-time world No.13 conceded the ā€œstars would have to alignā€ for him to make a successful comeback after knee and wrist surgeries.

ā€œI sit there and watch some of the players on tour and know within myself that this generation is not as strong as some of the players I have gone up against,ā€ he said in the newspaper column.

ā€œI know I can be one of the best in the world and win major tournaments ā€“ if my body lets me. The fire still burns, but itā€™s not my everything.ā€

Kyrgios also declared himself out of the running for the Paris Olympics, even though it would take something of a miracle to qualify anyway.

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(Australian Associated Press)

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