Nick Kyrgios’ manager Daniel Horsfall has poured cold water on rumours surrounding his client’s potential retirement.
Chatter around Kyrgios potentially giving the sport away came after he appeared on the On Purpose Podcast with Jay Shetty, which was released earlier this week following his withdrawal from the Australian Open with injury.
In an emotional interview, Kyrgios said he didn't really want to play tennis anymore and that he was exhausted. The 28-year-old also added that in an ideal world, his tennis career would be over already.
While some assumed retirement was imminent after those comments, Horsfall says Kyrgios will soldier on despite those quotes regarding exhaustion being true.
Horsfall says Kyrgios has more to give to the sport as he tries to find a balance between the sport and his happiness.
“I think that clip was from the Jay Shetty podcast,” Horsfall told SEN Breakfast.
“Nick got really open and emotional with Jay, and I guess he visited some past demons.
“But for sure, all those things that he said like exhaustion, injuries or surgeries. It's all true.
“But, you know, he's going to soldier on, he feels like he's got a lot more to give.
“It's just about finding that balance where you don't feel like you're, I guess, a prisoner to the game as they say.
“It's more how do you find that balance of being able to play and be happy at the same time?
“I think we're doing a pretty good job in finding that balance for Nick at the moment.”
Kyrgios won’t play in this summer’s home Grand Slam due to his ongoing rehabilitation from knee and wrist injuries and Horsfall says his star client battles his recovery and mind frame daily.
Horsfall says Kyrgios is keeping really busy as he edges closer to a return which he’ll complete once he’s 100 per cent ready to go.
“It's a constant battle every day,” Horsfall said.
“We can have a really good week, a really good day, or a really good month and then the next day after that could be something that's just derailed us completely.
“It is just about making sure that you take every day and giving it the best shot that you have.
“We were just in LA recently, with his injuries if he's not playing, he's doing his best to recover.
“I got him really busy, we sent him overseas, he's started to film his own talk show, he did a big PR run and he's doing stuff through his foundation.
“He's getting active and still being involved in tennis. He's just doing what he can to get his body right before he goes back out there and plays in front of a crowd.”
Kyrgios has played only one match in 2023 due to injury but has a protected ATP ranking of 21 which will allow him an immediate return to the top events on the tour when he returns from injury.
