US Open 2020: Nick Kyrgios pulls out of tournament, scolds tennis stars

Nick Kyrgios has released an emotional letter to announce his decision to abandon the US Open in a scathing swipe at “selfish” fellow stars.

Nick Kyrgios reads out his emotional letter in a video.

Aussie star Nick Kyrgios has announced he is pulling out of the 2020 US Open.

The 25-year-old on Sunday morning (AEST) read out a letter on his social media channels where he slammed tennis players and officials for pushing through with the New York tournament in the middle of a pandemic.

The No. 40 ranked tennis player has branded the sport “selfish” as he called on players to reconsider their participation in this year’s US Open, due to begin on September 1 (AEST).

Kyrgios’ emotional letter came just days after Aussie World No. 1 Ash Barty also pulled the pin on the US tennis tour, stressing it was not safe for her to take her team over to the United States while the country’s coronavirus crisis continues to spiral out of control.

Sam Stosur has also announced she will not be competing at the US Open.

Kyrgios was stoic as he read out his plea for tennis players to behave themselves when the US Open is held at the iconic Flushing Meadows precinct in New York.

“Dear Tennis, let us take a breath here and remember what is important, which is health and safety as a community,” Kyrgios said.

“We can rebuild our sport and the economy but we can never recover lives lost.

“I’ve got no problem with the USTA putting on the US Open and if players want to go, that’s up to them so long as everyone acts appropriately and acts safely. No one wants people to keep their jobs more than me. I’m speaking for the guy who works at the restaurant, the cleaners, the locker room attendants. These are the people that need their jobs back the most and fair play to them.

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Australia's Nick Kyrgios is the adult in the ATP Tour locker room.

“But tennis players, you have to act in the interests of each other and work together. You can’t be dancing on tables, money-grabbing your way around Europe or trying to make a quick buck hosting the next exhibition. That’s just so selfish. Think of the other people for once. That’s what this virus is about. It doesn’t care about your world ranking or how much money you have. Act responsibly.

“To those players that have been observing the rules and acting selflessly, I say good luck to you. Play at your own risk – and I have no problem with that.

“I will not be playing this year at the US Open.

It hurts me at my core not to be out there competing at one of the sports’ greatest arenas, Arthur Ashe Stadium. But I’m sitting out for the people, for my Aussies, for the hundreds and thousands of Americans who have lost their lives. For all of you.

“It is my decision, like it or not, and those are my reasons.

“Yours sincerely, Nick.”

Nick Kyrgios pulls out of #USOpen:

“We can rebuild our sport and the economy but we can never recover lives lost.”

Kyrgios also slams players “dancing on tables, money grabbing your way around Europe, trying to make a quick buck hosting an exhibition.”pic.twitter.com/xKfvRA7TAc

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) August 1, 2020

Kyrgios has been the global leader on the ATP Tour holding the game accountable for players acting irresponsibly in the middle of the pandemic.

He last week raked fellow star Borna Coric over the coals when it was suggested fellow players have not been taking Kyrgios’ recent criticism seriously.

Kyrgios slammed Novak Djokovic’s “stupidity” after the Serbian star tested positive for coronavirus after taking part in a tennis exhibition series in the Balkan region.

Professional tennis stars Coric, Grigor Dimitrov and Viktor Troicki also tested positive for the virus after playing in the Adria Tour, an exhibition tournament launched by Djokovic.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios is out.

But as he continues to call out his boneheaded fellow pros, the shots have come in thick and fast back in his direction with Croatian Borna Coric the latest to take a swipe.

“I read what he wrote, but I simply don’t care since he likes to be a ‘general after a battle’,” Coric told the Jutarnji List newspaper.

“If someone else was teaching lessons I would have maybe understood, but Kyrgios … It’s somehow not realistic.

“But OK, it’s his style, that’s how he functions, I have no problem with that neither does it bother me on personal level.”

Kyrgios may not have built the best reputation on the court throughout his career, but throughout the pandemic he has shown to be the standout leader in the men’s tennis world.

Coric’s shot in his direction, in the eyes of Kyrgios, missed the mark of what he was talking about and trying to get his fellow pros to understand.

You should care. Do you have rocks in your head? Again, you can stand up for your mates, I’m just trying to hold them accountable. When I said what I said, I didn’t intend to bother. They are tennis players, they aren’t special. Just as I thought Coric intellectual level = 0 (🍩) https://t.co/KNBa5mNG77

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 29, 2020

In a follow up tweet, Kyrgios tagged Coric directly and wrote:

“Just making sure that you spuds didn’t cause more players to feel like Dimitrov. Have you read how he continued to feel after he tested negative? Or that’s too much for that brain of yours to process?”

The 2020 French Open is also due to begin on September 27 at Roland Garros.