Nick Kyrgios, has confirmed his return to the 2023 French Open, a tournament he has not participated in since 2017.
Kyrgios, who has previously described Roland Garros as the “worst” grand slam event, one that “has nothing to do with tennis” has changed his mind because his Greek Australian girlfriend Costeen Hatzi wants to visit the “City of Love”.
“Yes, I’m playing the French Open, my girlfriend wants to see Paris, so why not?” Kyrgios told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“It will be good for me to earn some more money, although I would have preferred to stay at home.”
Even though Kyrgios has not played a European clay event since 2019 and has been clear about preferring grass to this surface and even though he has never made it past the third round at Roland Garros, he seems to be reconsidering.
“I’ve played well on clay, I’ve beaten [Roger] Federer, [Stan] Wawrinka, I’ve played a final on clay [at Estoril in 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,” he told SMH.
Always speaking fondly of Hatzi with whom he has been together for a year, he explained: “I’ll easily take time with my family and my girlfriend and enjoy experiences around the world and earn that type of money rather than play a week away in something where I wouldn’t be able to be with my girlfriend and I’m not getting paid that well.”
