Nick Kyrgios backtracks on call for Australian Open to be canceled, says allowing unvaccinated players into Australia would not be "morally right"

Nick Kyrgios has backtracked on comments he made suggesting next year's Australian Open should be canceled, claiming his quote was taken "out of context". The Australian also expressed his view that unvaccinated players should not be allowed into the country, after recently defending freedom of choice over the COVID-19 jab.

On a recent episode of the No Boundaries podcast, Kyrgios said he did not think the 2022 Australian Open should go ahead "for the people in Melbourne". The 26-year-old added "you’ve got to send a message" due to the amount of time Melbourne residents have spent in lockdown.

During the conversation, Kyrgios revealed that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine but asserted he felt it was "morally wrong" to force someone to take the jab. The Australian defended World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and NBA star Kyrie Irving, who have declined to reveal their vaccination status.

In a video story posted on his Instagram account, Kyrgios suggested he did not want the year's first Major to be called off, while reiterating his sympathy for those in Melbourne.

"To say that I’d want the Australian Open cancelled, I think that was the sentence that got taken out of context," Kyrgios said. "It’s more so for the people of Melbourne who have gone through hell and back."

Kyrgios also asserted he does not believe players who have not been vaccinated should be able to enter Australia. This is somewhat surprising after he recently supported freedom of choice on the matter.

"I think it’s been nearly 300 days of lockdown [in Melbourne] and your freedom has been, you know, taken away from you. I don’t think it’s morally right to accept players from overseas that aren’t vaccinated to come into our country," he said.

Novak Djokovic surprised by Nick Kyrgios support over vaccination stance

At a press conference at the 2021 ATP Finals on Thursday, Novak Djokovic responded to Nick Kyrgios's initial comments on the No Boundaries podcast. The Serb admitted Kyrgios's support for his viewpoint on vaccination was "unexpected," given the negative comments the Australian has made towards him in the past.

At this year's Australian Open, Kyrgios said he does not like Djokovic "at all", while the World No. 1 hit back by stating he does not have "much respect" for the Australian.

"That was unexpected, knowing what was coming from him towards me in the last couple of years (laughs)," Djokovic said. "But this time, I must agree with him that the freedom of choice is essential for everyone, whether it's me or somebody else."