Kyrgios: “I only want to play on for one to two years”

The Australian says the effort to recover from surgery has taken its toll

Nick Kyrgios, 2022 | © AI / Reuters / Panoramic

December 13, 2023

Nick Kyrgios says he only wants to play on for “another one to two years” and admits the effort of trying to get back on Tour after serious injury is taking its toll.

The 28-year-old played just one match in 2023 after having knee surgery during the Australian Open and then picking up a wrist injury which has kept him on the sidelines. The Australian will miss the 2024 Australian Open as he continues his recovery.

“I only want to play for about another one to two years, and be at the top, and go down my own terms,” Kyrgios told the ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty’ podcast.

“I would hate to have another surgery or anything like that. I think I’ve still got the ability to have a good one to two years and then that’s it.

“I think I’ll be at peace with everything I’ve achieved and … I’m going to have to just say: ‘Look, to everyone out there who wants me to play more, you’re just going to have to be OK with me not playing anymore’.”

Kyrgios: “I’m tired of playing tennis”

Kyrgios, the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2021, has won seven tournaments and more than $12 million in his career but has made as many headlines for his at times controversial on-court behaviour.

Open and honest about his mental health issues, Kyrgios said things might have different if he’d had a more “normal” career.

“If I had a bit of a normal career and I flew under the radar, I don’t feel I’d feel this way, but those couple years really, I think, put a lot on my age,” he said. “It’s just hard. I am tired. I’m tired of playing tennis.”

Recovery from injury has been difficult

And Kyrgios said trying to recover from surgery and injury has been difficult.

“I’m going to the gym, I’m doing my rehab, these surgeries aren’t just like little surgeries, they’re like you might have something seriously wrong with your body and it takes time,” he said. “I’m only human … it takes months and months of strength, consistency, diligence to get back to playing tennis at that high level again.

“I don’t want to get back on tour and just play decent, I was competing for a Grand Slam, so I want to get back to that level. So it might take a bit more time.”