Nick Kyrgios may not be one of the most successful players statistically, but he is undoubtedly one of the most interesting personalities on the tour. The Australian, known for his unconventional and entertaining style of play, has won 6 singles titles in his decade-long career.
Kyrgios prefers playing on hard courts and on grass. Interestingly, all of his six career titles have come on hard courts. Statistically, he has always struggled on clay. During his career, Kyrgios has refrained from participating much in clay-court tournaments. He last participated at Roland Garros in 2017, suffering a second-round exit.
However, after missing the French Open for the last four years, Kyrgios yesterday announced his comeback at Roland Garros.
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Nick Kyrgios to make a comeback at Roland Garros
After an unpleasant end to the Miami Open, Kyrgios is currently in Houston to compete at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. Entering the draw as a wildcard, Kyrgios will start his tournament campaign against Mackenzie McDonald.
Enjoying a Sunday afternoon in Houston, Kyrgios indulged in a candid conversation with tennis host, Blair Henley. During the conversation, Kyrgios claimed that Houston Open will be his only clay-court tournament this season. After which, he along with his girlfriend will head home for some time.
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The conversation, seeming fine till this point, got sparked when Kyrgios confirmed his participation in the next year’s Roland Garros. Kyrgios, who has not played the clay court Major asserted that he will be playing the French Open next year. “Next year I am gonna go to Paris. I am announcing now that I am going to the French Open. I haven’t played for four years. So yeah, I’ll be back next year,” he said.
When asked about the reason for this decision, Kyrgios gave one of the most bizarre yet humorous reasons. He said, “My girlfriend just wants to see Paris. I’m going to play the French Open as well.”
Breaking news for your Sunday…pic.twitter.com/v7VXOczxy3
— Blair Henley (@BlairHenley) April 3, 2022
Kyrgios, the perfect family person
Nick Kyrgios is undoubtedly a family person. He is often heard talking about his love for his family. However, during the interview, what came in as news was that not only Nick but also his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi is a family person.
When asked why is he not playing this year, the Australian asserted that he and his girlfriend have already decided to go home to Australia to spend time with family. He also focused on why this time with the family will be a crucial one for everyone. “We already decided to go home and have that time. We are just working towards that. I think the time at home is crucial because the next trip is for 3 months,” he said.
He ended his answer by confessing that he starts feeling homesick very quickly. Elaborating on the importance of being family-oriented, he said, “I think the time at home is so valuable, especially when you are from Australia. You get homesick very quickly. We both are family-oriented so we have to stay in that and make sure the circle remains tight.”
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As far as tennis is concerned, Kyrgios last played at the Miami Open. While he suffered a fourth-round loss in the singles draw, he moved a step further, reaching the semifinals in the doubles event.
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Following the losses, he is currently in Houston, set to play the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. It remains to be seen how the Australian fares in the only tournament on clay that he has decided to play this season.