Mercurial Australian player Nick Kyrgios has decided to withdraw from the Olympics since it will be held without fans.
The Japanese government had announced a ‘state of emergency in the country’ earlier this week. That also meant that the upcoming Games in Tokyo would be held without any spectators.
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The 26-year-old took to social media on Friday to announce his withdrawal in a post titled ‘Olympics.’
“Hey Guys – I just want to let you know that I’ve decided to withdraw from the Olympics. It’s a decision I didn’t make lightly. It’s been my dream to represent Australia at the Olympics and I know I may never get that opportunity again. But I also know myself,” he said in a post on Twitter.
Olympics. pic.twitter.com/ydj1V7jh2t
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 8, 2021
“The thought of playing in front of empty stadiums just doesn’t sit right with me. It never has. I also wouldn’t want to take an opportunity away from a healthy Aussie athlete ready to represent the country. I will also take all the time I need to get my body right.
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“Good luck to all the Aussies competing and I’ll see you back on the court real soon.”
Kyrgios, a temperamental player, has been known to interact with spectators, sometimes even asking them for advice on certain plays.
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He returned to playing competitive tennis recently at the Wimbledon Championships, which was his first event since his third round exit at the Australian Open in February.
The Australian Team
The Australian team consists of Alex De Minaur, John Millman, James Duckworth, John Peers and Luke Saville in the men’s singles and doubles.
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In the women’s singles and doubles events the team has Ashleigh Barty, Ajla Tomljanovic, Samantha Stosur, Storm Sanders and Ellen Perez.
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