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Home / Sport / Tennis

Tennis: Nick Kygrios says he'll quit tennis if he wins US Open

news.com.au
30 Aug, 2016 04:11 AM5 mins to read

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Nick Kyrgios. Photo / AP

Nick Kyrgios. Photo / AP

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Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has threatened to quit his sport so many times the throw away declarations barely raise the eyebrows of his fans any more.

But he's never made a threat to walk away from the game quite like this.

The 21-year-old has given another bizarre insight into his unique mind when he called a snap two-minute Q&A session with his fans on Twitter ahead of his US Open first round match with Britain's Aljaz Bedene on Wednesday morning (NZT).

The results were as chaotic as his supporters have come to expect.

In the space of a couple minutes, Kyrgios declared he could leave tennis before his 27th birthday - as he has previously flagged - professed he is in love with Croatian-Australian girlfriend Ajla Tomljanovic and did not shirk a question on whether players are allowed to smoke marijuana on the professional tour.

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His most striking revelation was his announcement that he will walk away from tennis in less than two weeks if he wins the US Open at Flushing Meadows.

if I won the US open now u would never see me again

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

It came after Kyrgios had originally told a Twitter user he could walk away in five years time regardless of the path his career takes.

He also featured in a front page feature story in the New York Times magazine where he said he is interested in quitting tennis to play basketball.

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The No. 14 seed's future remains as clouded as ever.

The impromptu interview with Twitter followers may have delivered some bad news for the erratic rising star's fans, but his declarations would have been much-better received by Tomljanovic.

yes

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

@Ajlatom

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

@Ajlatom

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

@Ajlatom

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

Then he declared players are allowed to smoke weed on the professional tour.

haha tru

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

yep

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

He also appeared to have a laugh at Australian Olympic Committee Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller.

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kitty

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 30, 2016

While Kyrgios appears slightly preoccupied, the man he plays first up is fully focused on causing a huge upset.

Bedene says he is happy to let Kyrgios beat himself when they clash in the first round on Court 6.

Undoubtedly one of the game's most exciting young talents, Kyrgios is also known for his on-court antics and tempestuous personality.

He smashed three racquets in a row during a defeat in Cincinnati this month and after losing to Andy Murray at Wimbledon admitted to preparing for the match by playing video games.

On court, Kyrgios is a box of tricks, often combining moments of genius with inexplicable lapses of concentration, which in part explains why he is yet to fulfil his brilliant potential.

Bedene, ranked 77th in the world, shares the same agent as Kyrgios but the comparisons end there, with his cool exterior reflecting a game based on consistency and persistence.

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The Slovenian-born British No. 3 has never gone past the second round at Flushing Meadows but believes he can capitalise if Kyrgios begins to waver.

"The best players always take advantage," Bedene said.

"You have to stay focused and you know those games and those points will come. You just have to grab them.

"It's not easy because it gets quite entertaining. It's funny. It gets interesting, as a player you want to enjoy the match. All those different emotions going through and then a player is playing tricks.

"It's not easy to stay focused but you have to try to play the best you can.

"Either he can play great tennis or he can go down. He is his biggest enemy."

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Kyrgios is among six Australian in action on a bumper day two at Flushing Meadows.

The Australian No.1 plays the last match on the old Grandstand Court, where Daria Gavrilova, Samantha Stosur and Bernard Tomic all precede him in consecutive matches.

Gavrilova faces 2015 French Open finalist Lucie Safarova, Stosur, the women's 16th seed, opens her quest for a second title in New York against Italian Camila Giorgi and Tomic plays Damir Dzumhur.

Seeded 17th, Tomic could run into Kyrgios in the third round but is firmly focused on the same first-round opponent who took him to four sets last year.

"This is a match for me," Tomic said.

"He's very low, very small and he understands my tennis. So for me this is a difficult match.

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"People see this on paper and he's 90 in the world, I'm top 20. But it's not like this.

"He had a chance to push me to five last year, so I have to respect this." John Millman, with a tough opener against eighth seed Dominic Thiem, and grand slam debutant Ellen Perez, who meets Zhang Shaui, are also in action.

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