Tokyo 2020 - Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Olympics after fans banned from attending the Games
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Published 09/07/2021 at 07:33 GMT
Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has revealed he will not compete at the Olympics after organisers were forced to bar fans from attending. Tokyo will be under a state of emergency during the Games amid rising coronavirus cases. Kyrgios said it was a tough decision to pull out. "The thought of playing in front of empty stadiums just doesn't sit right with me. It never has," he said.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia interacts with the crowd after retiring injured during his men's singles third round match against Felix Auger Aliassime of Canada during Day Six of The Championships - Wimbledon
Image credit: Getty Images
Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics after fans were banned from attending the Games.
Japan has declared a state of emergency in Tokyo as coronavirus cases soar, but the Games are still scheduled to go ahead behind closed doors.
Kyrgios has been a vocal opponent to sporting events going on during the pandemic and his recent stint at Wimbledon was the first time he has taken part in a competition outside Australia for over a year.
The 26-year-old released a short statement explaining his decision, citing the lack of fans and an injury as the two man reasons for his withdrawal.
“Hey guys – I just want to let you know that I’ve decided to withdraw from the Olympics,” he wrote on Twitter.
It’s a decision I didn’t make lightly. 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.
“I will also take all the time I need to get my body right. Good luck to all the Aussies competing and I’ll see you back on the court real soon.”
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Kyrgios was forced to retire from his third-round Wimbledon match against Felix Auger-Aliassime last Saturday due to an abdominal injury.
Olympic selectors for Australia will be hopeful world number one and Wimbledon finalist Ashleigh Barty doesn’t follow Kyrgios’ example.
Barty has said she still plans to compete at the Olympics, but that was before Tokyo declared a state of emergency and fans were barred from events.
The Olympics begin on July 23 and more than half of the stadiums hosting events have been barred from housing spectators, including 68,000-capacity National Stadium.
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However, Japan’s prime minister Yoshihide Suga did say some stadiums outside of Tokyo may still be allowed to welcome some fans.
“It will be an unusual way of staging the event amid a state of emergency,” Suga said.
“But I want to show from Tokyo that the human race can overcome great difficulty through hard work and wisdom.”
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