Nick Kyrgios has revealed that Aussie sporting icons have told him and his family to ‘go back to where we came from’ as he labels Australia ‘one of the most racist countries in the world’.
The tennis bad boy, who on Sunday night withdrew from this year’s Wimbledon with a wrist injury, has lifted the lid on the bigotry he had to deal with while growing up.
The 28-year-old firebrand, who was born to a Greek father and Malaysian mother, has been vocal about being racially abused on the court while playing overseas – and now says he has copped it in his home nation, too.
‘I have dealt with bad racism,’ Kyrgios told Men’s Health magazine.
‘Australia is a pretty racist country in general, one of the most racist countries in the world.
Nick Kyrgios has opened up about the racism he has received growing up in Australia, branding the nation ‘one of the most racist countries in the world’
Kyrgios claims he and his family (pictured) were told to go back to where they came from by some of the most iconic people in Aussie sport
‘I have grown some thick skin in sport and in life, so I deal with it better than I did. But it’s never easy.
‘Some of the most iconic people in sport in Australia have told me and my family to go back where we came from and this kind of bulls**t. Stuff that isn’t acceptable, not acceptable at all.’
The controversial Canberran went on to talk about his bad boy image and how it has impacted his career.
‘I would say at times it has helped me and at times it hasn’t,’ Kyrgios said.
‘Tennis is a very repetitive sport – it’s not easy, it can be very tedious and amazing discipline and amazing patience are required.
‘People see me as volatile, but you don’t make it this far in the sport without composure and patience. I’m actually incredibly patient.
‘I feel I’ve always been a perfectionist and, sometimes, to get the best out of myself I have to fire myself up, get out of a rut, lift my energy levels.
‘A mental outburst can get me going. It’s all about balance. All athletes get into a zone and need to be pumped up to some extent.’
The Aussie (pictured with girlfriend Costeen) has previously claimed that discrimination is to blame for the brunt of his ‘bad boy’ reputation
Kyrgios has previously claimed that discrimination is to blame for the brunt of his ‘bad boy’ reputation.
Speaking on the ABC series Reputation Rehab, he said the sport is inherently a ‘white gentleman’s sport’, making his position within the game difficult for some to accept.
‘It’s supposed to be a nice white gentleman’s sport,’ he said.
‘So seeing someone coloured like myself go out there, be different and be successful, it’s not so easy to see at times.’
Last month, the Aussie also revealed that he was admitted to a psychiatric ward in London with suicidal thoughts in 2019.
The Australian lost in four sets to Rafael Nadal in the second round at Wimbledon and admitted he was ‘contemplating if I wanted to commit suicide’.
‘I was genuinely contemplating if I wanted to commit suicide,’ he says in ‘Belonging’, episode six of the new series Break Point.
‘I lost at Wimbledon. I woke up and my dad was sitting on the bed, full-blown crying. That was the big wake-up call for me.
‘I was like: “OK, I can’t keep doing this. I ended up in a psych ward in London to figure out my problems.”’
Kyrgios appeared at his scheduled press conference Sunday morning and talked of the forthcoming week, and his cautious hopes of being able to leave an impression this year.
The Aussie firebrand says people see him as volatile, but he’s actually ‘incredibly patient’
Unpredictable as ever, he then went on social media on Sunday night to announce he would not be playing after all.
‘During my comeback I experienced some pain in my wrist during Mallorca (where he had intended to play last week),’ said the Australian.
‘As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist.
‘I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn’t have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon. I’ll be back and as always I appreciate the support from all my fans.’
The extent of his wrist injury – and how long he might be out for – is unclear, but on Saturday he hit with American Maxim Cressy and seemed to be striking the ball well enough.
This is the second time in 2023 that Kyrgios has withdrawn from a Grand Slam on the eve of it, having scratched from the Australian Open at the eleventh hour back in January.
