?Doesn?t Sit Right With Me?: Nick Kyrgios Joins Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, and Others in Tokyo Olympics Withdrawals List

After playing at the Australian Open in February, Nick Kyrgios marked his return at Wimbledon Championships 2021. However, due to a lack of match reps, he picked up an abdominal injury in the second-round match against Felix Auger-Aliassime. At 1-1, the Aussie maverick realized he could no longer compete and retired from the tournament.

Naturally, the retirement put dark clouds over his participation at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics event in Japan. But Nick, who has no filter, had already raised doubts due to the behind closed doors policy. “The Olympics, the way it?s going to go on, is not the Olympics,” Nick said earlier.

Now, the 26-year-old has issued an official statement regarding his final decision for the Olympics. Regrettably, it is not what fans wanted to hear.

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Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Tokyo Olympics

Even though the Tour resumed in August last year amid the ongoing pandemic, Kyrgios never left his country. He also strongly voiced his denial about playing in front of empty crowds that tennis players had to do for almost a year. For the same reason, the Australian has pulled the plug on his Tokyo Olympics campaign.

“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. 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,” Kyrgios wrote.

With that, Kyrgios entered the long Tokyo withdrawals list, which includes Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Denis Shapovalov, and many more. Nevertheless, fans will see him on the court at the same time during the Olympics.

Watch this story: Heartbreaking Losses at Wimbledon Championships 2021: Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Nick Kyrgios, Venus Williams, Ons Jabeur, Andy Murray

Where will Kyrgios play next?

Interestingly, the Australian has replaced the Olympics event for ATP 250 Atlanta Open. It is the opener of the seven-week long lead-up tournaments for the US Open. Alongside Kyrgios, 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal, Grigor Dimitrov, and Jannik Sinner would also make an appearance.

Hopefully, fans catching up the Atlanta Open would witness some eye-balling matchups, potentially Kyrgios against Nadal. It would be interesting to see if the Aussie is still as lethal as he once was against the top players.

Are you excited for the hardcourt season return on the ATP Tour?

Also Read: Was This the Last Wimbledon Championships For Roger Federer and Serena Williams?