Nick Kyrgios Drops Bombshell About Never Having “Passion” for Tennis Since His Childhood

Nick Kyrgios has won just one match this year and currently ranks World No.642 in the ATP rankings.

Nick Kyrgios Drops Bombshell About Never Having “Passion” for Tennis Since His Childhood

Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Tennis Australia)

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Nick Kyrgios is one of the most outspoken players on tour, which has made him popular off the court. The Australian star has not played a singles match since the Miami Open in March as he continues to struggle with injuries. Recently, during an event in Riyadh, the 30-year-old revealed that he never had a passion for tennis while growing up.

Kyrgios has dealt with several injuries in his career. He suffered a serious wrist injury in 2022, which kept him out for nearly two years. He made his return to the court at the 2025 Brisbane International before competing at the Australian Open, where he suffered an opening match defeat against British star Jacob Fearnley.

His last singles match came at the Miami Open, where he defeated Mackenzie McDonald in the first round before losing to Karen Khachanov in straight sets. He was forced to withdraw from the French Open and Wimbledon due to a knee injury. He recently featured in the doubles category of the Washington Open teaming up with Gael Monfils, but they crashed out in the first round.

He made an appearance at the Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will not feature at the ongoing Canadian Open. During an interview at the event, he revealed that he first had a passion for playing basketball and gaming, but was “thrown” into tennis:

I think my passion was basketball and gaming, and I was thrown into a sport where tennis is very clean cut. I’ve been criticised in my career for not putting enough time on the court, and I’ve missed tournaments and training because I’ve just been gaming, purely because I love it. When I played those nine-hour gaming sessions when we were younger, I guess my mum didn’t think this was possible [playing Esports competitively].

The former World No.13 has played a total of five singles matches this season and holds a 1-4 win-loss record. He has won seven titles in his career and his last title came at the Washington Open in 2022, and is currently ranked World No.642 in the ATP rankings.

Kyrgios is yet to reveal which tournament he will compete in next after featuring in the doubles of the Washington Open. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old has remained in the headlines mainly because of his criticism of Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension for testing positive for clostebol.

Nick Kyrgios reflects on his loss to Novak Djokovic at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships

The major highlight of Nick Kyrgios’ career came at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, where he reached the final. Against Novak Djokovic, he won the first set but couldn’t keep up with his performance, allowing the Serbian legend to come from behind to win 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6(3)-7, losing the title.

Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios
Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Sportal.rs, US Open Tennis)

During the match, Kyrgios kept cursing in front of the Royal Box at the Center Court. In the aforementioned interview, he revealed that he does not fit the mold of a tennis player, which is why he sometimes shows his resentment on the court. He added that he has struggled to fit into being a professional tennis player:

I’m very rough around the edges, and I didn’t really fit the mould for a tennis player. I really struggled with that early in my career. Now I’m embracing it, and I’m glad I’m able to put on a show. When I played in front of the Royal Box at Wimbledon, I was throwing F-bombs. It’s been a struggle to kind of fit in, but now I kind of embrace it. I’m not going to change for anyone.

Kyrgios was engaged in several controversies during the 2022 Wimbledon, and there were times he looked set for a full meltdown during his clash against Djokovic, and was even fined £15,000 for a code violation.

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