An emotional Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the US Open Sunday, for “the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have lost their lives”, while pleading with players who attend to not be selfish and act responsibly.
His decision
follows fellow Australian and world number one Ashleigh Barty last week
withdrawing from the Grand Slam in New York, citing “significant risks” from
the coronavirus pandemic.
“Dear Tennis, I
will not be playing this year at the US Open. It hurts me at my core,” Kyrgios,
who has consistently called out fellow competitors for not taking the virus
seriously enough, said in a video posted on Twitter.
“But I’m sitting
out for the people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds of thousands of Americans
who have lost their lives, for all of you.”
More than 150,000
people have died from COVID-19 in the United States, with over 4.5 million
infections since the beginning of the pandemic.
The opinionated
Kyrgios, ranked just 40 but a major drawcard, last month blasted the ATP as “selfish”
for pressing ahead with plans for the US Open, which is scheduled to start on
August 31.
He tempered
criticism of organisers in a passionate letter read during the video, saying he
had “no problem” with it being held, citing the need to keep people such as
restaurant workers, cleaners, and locker room attendants in work.
But Kyrgios had
strong words for some of the top names in the game, in a veiled jab at those
who took part in Novak Djokovic’s recent ill-fated Adria Tour exhibition, where
there was minimal social distancing and players went nightclubbing.
“Tennis players,
you have to act in the interests of each other and work together,” said the
Australian.
“You can’t be
dancing on tables, money-grabbing your way around Europe or trying to make a
quick buck hosting an exhibition – that’s just so selfish.
“Think of the other
people for once, that’s what this virus is about. It doesn’t care about your
world ranking or how much money you have in the bank. Act responsibly.”
‘Stupidity’ blasted
Djokovic, Grigor
Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki all tested positive for COVID-19 after
the Adria Tour and Kyrgios has since waged a running battle with some of those
who played, including Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem, blasting their “stupidity”
and risky behaviour.
The US Tennis
Association (USTA) on Friday said they were confident in their safety plans for
the event, which will take place in a bubble quarantine setting without
spectators.
The tennis season
has been at a standstill since mid-March due to the virus outbreak worldwide,
with Wimbledon cancelled for the first time since World War II.
Calendars have been
reshuffled with the WTA tour scheduled to restart on Monday in Palermo, Italy,
although a player, who has not been officially identified, tested positive for
coronavirus and pulled out.
The men are set to
get back under way at the Western and Southern Open, a tune-up event for the US
Open from August 20-28 in a quarantine environment without spectators at
Flushing Meadows.
World number one
Djokovic, the reigning Wimbledon and Australian Open champion, and
second-ranked Rafael Nadal, the current US Open champion, were among entries
for that event, signalling their likely intent to play the Grand Slam.
Serena Williams was
also confirmed, but missing from the entry list was Barty, world number two
Simona Halep, the current Wimbledon champion, fifth-rated Elina Svitolina and
last year’s US Open champion, sixth-ranked Bianca Andreescu.
