Nick Kyrgios makes U-turn on playing French Open after girlfriend’s request to ‘see Paris’

Nick Kyrgios has revealed that he will end his five-year snub of the French Open, all in the name of love. The current world No 94 has not played the clay-court Major since 2017 and has already ruled himself out of the entire European clay swing this year, playing his first and last tournament on the surface in Houston this week.

After starting the year by winning his maiden Grand Slam title in the Australian Open men’s doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kyrgios automatically announced that he would not be playing on the clay this year. He is now playing his first and only tournament on the surface at the Houston ATP 250 but will not be travelling for the main European clay swing and instead will go home to Australia before the grass season.

While speaking about his decision to play just one event in the United States before snubbing the other clay events in Europe, the former world No 13 announced that he would finally be making his return to the French Open in 2023, all so his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi could “see Paris”. “This will be my only clay tournament of the year,” he said after arriving at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship.

“Next year I am going to go to Paris, I’m announcing that now. I’m going to the French Open. Breaking news. Yeah, I haven’t played that in four years so yeah I’ll be back next year.” Asked what had made him change his mind about the Grand Slam he has opted not to play since 2017, the 26-year-old admitted it was all down to his girlfriend.

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“My girlfriend just wants to see Paris. So yeah. I mean I’ll just play the French Open as well,” he laughed, announcing his return to the tournament that was the site of his first-ever ATP main draw win back in 2013. With this year’s edition of the tournament still not starting until the end of May, he was asked why he wouldn’t make his French Open return in 2022 but admitted that both he and his partner needed the time at home before going on to travel for the grass and North American hard court portions of the season.

The six-time title winner said: “Well we kinda already decided to go home and have that time. And yeah, we’re just working towards that. I think that time at home is crucial because the next trip is for three months. I think the time at home is so valuable, especially being from Australia, you get homesick very quickly. And we’re both very family orientated so we have to make sure that circle remains tight.”

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