Nick Kyrgios admits that he hasn't slept much amid a "rough" few days after his mother was allegedly held at gunpoint before his car was stolen.
Reports from Australia claim that a man pointed a long-barrelled gun at Kyrgios' mother, Norlaila, around 8:30am Monday morning and demanded the keys to his lime green Tesla, later asking how to drive it. Tennis star Kyrgios, who was quickly alerted by his mother, used the Tesla app to track and slow down the vehicle, as police pursued it in Canberra.
"Last couple days has been rough... Haven't slept much and battling a little," Kyrgios, who's currently working on a return from injury, wrote in an Instagram post, as the Aussie ace thanked fans. "Appreciative of all the support."
Authorities said in a statement on Thursday that they had seized a shotgun which they believed to have been used in the incident, as well as two other firearms. A 32-year-old suspect from Canberra appeared in a Magistrates Court on Tuesday to face several charges, including aggravated robbery and driving a stolen motor vehicle. He was denied bail, court documents confirmed.
The incident comes amid the latter stages of Kyrgios' rehab, having not played a single game in 2023 after undergoing knee surgery. The 28-year-old pulled out of the Australian Open in January and has been sharing his progress on social media.
Last month, Kyrgios wrote alongside a picture of himself in the gym: "Currently taking it day by day with my knee and building up load. Trying to get back to where I was."
He had targeted a return for the French Open at the end of this month but his status is still unconfirmed. Compatriot John Millman has even told Kyrgios to let tournament director Amelie Mauresmo's potential calls "go to voicemail" and skip the clay season altogether.
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"I'm sure there are many tournament directors that would love that return come at their tournament, none more so than Amelie Mauresmo at the French Open," Millman, 33, wrote for News.com.au. "Roland-Garros needs a great 2023 edition. A box office player making his return to play is exactly what Mauresmo and her team needs.
"The question is should Nick answer her calls? Nick proved last year when making the final of Wimbledon that he can win Grand Slams."
Millman believes that Kyrgios should instead be focused on winning his first Major title later in the year. "I see no reason why he can't win Wimbledon, Australian Open or the US Open in the next eight months," his fellow Aussie added.
