Nick Kyrgios to participate at heavily criticized Saudi Arabian exhibition
ATP
Nick Kyrgios will compete at the 2022 Diriyah Tennis Cup. The exhibition event will be held in Saudi Arabia from December 8th until 10th.
After the best season of his career, the 27-year-old Australian signed up for various exhibition events. Recently, he played in Mexico against Cameron Norrie and should also participate in Dubai at the World Tennis League.
However, already in three weeks, Kyrgios should also take part in the 2022 Diriyah Tennis Cup. With his success in 2022, the Australian player's value increased massively, which is why he can capitalize on it by playing in exhibitions.
Especially exhibition events in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia pay players well, so it's not a surprise that Kyrgios chose to compete in these tournaments.
Kyrgios joined a star-studded field at the Diriyah Tennis Cup. Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka, Taylor Fritz, and Cameron Norrie are the seven players that will also compete in Saudi Arabia.
Kyrgios will get a chance to compete against them in December, and he was happy to announce his participation.
"At the end of my outstanding season 2022, I’m excited to play at the Diriyah Tennis Cup. I’m looking forward to getting to know the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and especially to having fun with the other players and showing the fans some really entertaining tennis."
However, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist, like the rest of the players, likely won't avoid criticism for this move. When Cameron Norrie joined the event, Felix Jakens, who is the Head of Priority Campaigns for Amnesty International UK, publicly criticized his move.
Norrie responded to the criticism, saying that he's not a politician to discuss such topics, which is likely a response that most of the players would provide as well. For now, Kyrgios avoided any questions about his move.
