Nick Kyrgios feels plans to go ahead with US Open are ‘selfish with everything going on at the moment’

US Open

Shahida Jacobs
June 11, 2020

Nick Kyrgios believes tennis should only return when the world has overcome challenges like the coronavirus pandemic and the riots in the United States, saying plans to proceed with the US Open are “selfish”.

The sport has been on a hiatus since the start of March due to Covid-19 and will return on August 1 at the earliest, with the US Open set to start in New York on August 31.

However, there are storm clouds looming over the hard-court Grand Slam as New York has been the epicentre of the coronavirus in the US while the country has also been hit by protest marches against police brutality and racism the past few weeks.

World No 40 Kyrgios took to Twitter to first ask the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic if the tournament should go ahead.

Do you think the US OPEN should go ahead? @RafaelNadal @rogerfederer @DjokerNole ?

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 11, 2020

The Australian later added that attempts to make sure the event takes places are “selfish”.

“The ATP is trying to make the US Open go ahead. Selfish with everything going on at the moment. Obviously Covid, but also with the riots, together we need to overcome these challenges before tennis returns in my opinion,” he wrote.

The ATP is trying to make the US Open go ahead. Selfish with everything going on at the moment. Obviously Covid, but also with the riots, together we need to overcome these challenges before tennis returns in my opinion. https://t.co/tEHPvr4miB

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) June 11, 2020