"I played four hours at the Australian Open, Svitolina played like 40 minutes" says Nick Kyrgios in objection to equal prize money

Nick Kyrgios has been in bombshell mode since announcing that he would not play the 2024 Australian Open. This time he has taken aim at the notion of equal prize money rubbishing that at Grand Slams, female players take home the same as men.

So far this week, Kyrgios has said in particular that his tennis career could be coming to an end and that he doesn't feel like playing any more as well as opening up on his own mental health issues and nearly taking his own life at Acapulco a few years ago.

BBC Sport

@BBCSport

·Follow

Nick Kyrgios' tennis career could be coming to an end. #BBCTennis

263

Reply

Copy link

Read 39 replies

WNBA/NBA merger would get 'ridiculed' in example against WTA/ATP move

He used Elina Svitolina as an example saying that in his opinion, it isn't fair that she can play for like 40 minutes and he can play for like four hours and get the same money. Of course this isn't a true depiction with female players being on court for a lot longer.

Read also

"'I don't really want to play any more": Nick Kyrgios drops dramatic retirement bombshell with only one reason behind continuing career

"I played for four hours at the A.O. (Australian Open), then (Elina) Svitolina played for like 40 minutes and we both got paid the same," Nick Kyrgios told The Athletic.

He also took aim at a potential ATP/WTA merger saying that it doesn't make sense and said that it'd get laughed out of the building if it was the WNBA and NBA having such a venture.

"If we’re merging, you merge the draws, you merge everything," he said. "But why is tennis the only sport that deals with this stuff? If the WNBA said, ‘Let’s merge’, the NBA would ridicule them."

Read also

"I was basically declared as a villain of the world": Novak Djokovic recalls firestorm surrounding Australian Open deportation