"My mother dragged me down to the local tennis courts, I was crying all day" - Nick Kyrgios on a defining memory from his childhood

Nick Kyrgios shared some of his earliest childhood memories, recalling how his mother introduced him to tennis and encouraged him to take up the sport despite his initial reluctance.

Speaking on the podcast 'On Purpose with Jay Shetty,' the Aussie revealed that he was an overweight child and mentioned how his mother used to drag him to the tennis courts and make him learn the sport.

"Well, I hated tennis when I was young. So, you know, I was very chubby, overweight as a kid. And my mom , she was like, okay, we've got to get you doing some sport or be active. So she dragged me down to the local tennis courts. And I remember I was crying all day, hated it. Didn't want to be there anyway," he said (at 2:07).

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist added that it all changed and he made his decision to take up the sport after his coach, at the time, spotted his talent.

"I gave it a chance for like, a couple of weeks, couple of months. And the coach was like, 'Oh, he's picking it up pretty quickly'. And then that was, I guess that was a defining moment because ever since that coach said that it's like my father and my mom put everything into it," he said (at 2:20).

Kyrgios also spoke about his humble beginnings and financial struggles, as he stated (at 2:34):

"They sacrificed, you know, my dad and my mom had nothing growing up. And I guess they saw me as the person in the family to eventually try and make it and help them out and help the family out."

Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Australian Open 2024

Nick Kyrgios at a practice session ahead of 2023 Wimbledon

Nick Kyrgios took to OnlyFans platform to announce his withdrawal from the 2024 Australian Open. This is the second consecutive time that the Aussie will miss his home Major.

Kyrgios pulled out of the 2023 Australian Open on the opening day due to a knee injury. He underwent arthroscopic surgery and focussed on his rehab before returning to action.

He made a comeback at the Stuttgart Open, where he fell to Yu Wibing in the opening round. However, a wrist injury cut his comeback plans short and he has not been back on the ATP tour since then.

Although tennis fans were hopeful of the 28-year-old's return, he is being cautious and taking his time to recuperate after an injury-marred season. He will likely be seen off-court as a commentator during the Grand Slam event.