Greek Australian Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian Olympic team less than a week after retiring from Wimbledon due to injury.
The 26-year-old stated on his Instagram story on Friday morning that he admitted: “it’s a decision I didn’t make lightly”.
His announcement came just hours after officials confirmed athletes in the Tokyo Olympic Games would compete in front of empty stands following a surge in Covid cases.
The 26-year-old said he was also seeking treatment for an abdominal injury that forced him to retire midway through a third-round match at Wimbledon five days ago.
“I also wouldn’t want to take an opportunity away from a healthy Aussie athlete ready to represent the country,” he posted.
“I will also take all the time I need to get my body right.”
Australia’s tennis hierarchy will meet to discuss a replacement for Kyrgios after initially selecting 11 players, including Ash Barty and Alex de Minaur.
