Nick Kyrgios will not represent Australia at this year’s Olympics in Tokyo because he did not want to compete if there were no fans in the stands, he said on Thursday.
Previously on that day, the Olympic organizers said the game would take place without a spectator in the host of the city of Tokyo as Coronavirus rose again forcing Japan to declare an emergency in the capital which would continue throughout the event which began on July 23.
“It’s my dream to represent Australia at the Olympics and I know I might never get that opportunity again,” The 26-year-old Kyrgios wrote on social media.
“But I also know myself.
The mind playing in front of a blank seat doesn’t match me.
Never existed.” He added that he did not want to take the opportunity of a healthy Australian athlete who was ready to represent the country and that he would use the time to “get his body right”.
Kyrgios retired during the third round match at Wimbledon against Felix Auger Aliassion on Saturday due to a stomach injury.
Kyrgios joined some of the biggest sport names, including Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Serena Williams and Simona Halep, in the skipping match.