Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has announced his intention to play the French Open for the first time in six years because his "girlfriend wants to see Paris."
Kyrgios, 27, last featured at Roland Garros in 2017 when he suffered a second-round defeat at the hands of Kevin Anderson. He's featured in almost every other major outside France since then but has consistently swerved what he once dubbed 'the worst Grand Slam' of all.
The Canberran hinted earlier in 2022 that he intended to end his French Open absence so that partner Costeen Hatzi could get a glimpse of Paris. However, fans will be excited to hear him reaffirm those plans heading into 2023,
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"Yes, I'm playing the French Open," Kyrgios told reporters in Saudi Arabia, where he recently featured at the Diriyah Tennis Cup. "My girlfriend [Costeen Hatzi] wants to see Paris, so why not?
"It will be good for me to earn some more money. . .I've played well on clay, I've beaten [Roger] Federer, [Stanislas] Wawrinka, I've played a final on clay [Estoril 2015] but usually at that time of year, I like spending time at home. Because if I don't, then I'm travelling for eight months a year, it's too much. But she [Hatzi] hasn't seen Paris - so why not?"
Kyrgios' romantic life has long been a hot topic in the media, largely due to his seemingly chaotic relationship with ex Chiara Passari. The tennis star was even summoned to court earlier this year after being charged with assaulting Passari around the time their relationship ended in late 2021.
But Kyrgios' performances on the court appear to have significantly improved in line with him finding more stability in his love life. It wasn't long after he began his relationship with blogger Hatzi that Kyrgios won his maiden major title, teaming up with Thanasi Kokkinakis to clinch the Australian Open doubles crown.
He then made his major singles final debut with a runner-up finish against Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon earlier this year. Kyrgios capped the 2022 Grand Slam calendar with a quarter-final run at the U.S. Open, having also sealed his first ATP Tour title in three years after triumphing at the Citi Open.
The controversial talent is also happy Djokovic will be back at the upcoming Australian Open after being deported from the country in 2022. "Sport brings people together, and I don't think it should divide people," added Kyrgios. "I think it should have all the top tennis players there, having fun and putting on a show."
