Nick Kyrgios considered becoming a basketball player but is content with sticking to his decision of turning into a tennis pro.
Kyrgios held an open session for questions from his fans on his official Instagram handle. And one curious follower asked the Aussie whether he would have switched to basketball if he had the chance to restart his career.
The 28-year-old's love affair with basketball stems from his early teenage years when he played the sport in school before stopping at 14 in order to focus on tennis. Kyrgios was adamant he made the correct choice by sticking to tennis even though the idea of playing basketball on a professional level crossed his mind.
"Sometimes I think to myself that I should of chosen basketball.... For my happiness, but then I think about what I've been able to do for my family and close circle and now have no regrets."
Having become a fully-fledged tennis pro in 2013, Kyrgios achieved a career-best ranking of World No. 13 and won seven ATP singles titles. He has earned over $12 million in career earnings as of November 2023 and is one of only three players who have beaten each member of the Big 3 the first time he played.
Kyrgios' watershed moment on a tennis court was in 2022 when he famously won the Australian Open doubles title together with his best friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. He also reached his first Grand Slam singles final later that year at Wimbledon, losing to Novak Djokovic in four sets.
While naturally and instinctively, he is considered a tennis maverick because of his shotmaking abilities, he has grown to become a divisive and controversial figure in the tennis fraternity. He has never shied away from the spotlight even if for the wrong reasons.
Kyrgios is an investor of the Australian-based basketball team South East Melbourne Phoenix and was recently to one of their games to watch them firsthand. He is also a diehard fan of the Boston Celtics which currently competes in the NBA.
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