Tennis ace Nick Kyrgios receives official invitation to take part in upstart sport 'Pickleball'
by مخبر
Tennis ace Nick Kyrgios receives official invitation to take part in upstart sport ‘Pickleball’
Tennis bad boy Nick Kyrgios could be set for a temporary career change after the governing body of a sport called Pickleball officially invited the Australian to take part in their national championships in October.
The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis, takes place on a small court and has been surging in popularity in recent years, particularly in Kyrgios’ native country.
Pickleball started two years ago with just 20 registered players, but that number has swelled to more than 1,000 and counts former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash among its admirers. Now organizers say they want Kyrgios to get involved, too.
The Australian was recently handed a 16-week suspended ban by the ATP following an investigation in his actions at last month’s Cincinnati Open after he requested a bathroom break – that was granted – but instead of using the toilet facilities he walked into a corridor, smashed two rackets and returned to the court.
The ban, along with a fine, will only become applicable if Kyrgios is deemed to break any further rules during his probationary period.
Despite not being ruled out of upcoming tournaments because of these disciplinary reasons, Kyrgios confirmed that he will miss upcoming tournaments in Asia due to injury – and this led to an official invite to attend the Pickleball tournament in early October.
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“We notice with great interest you are back in Australia to deal with your injuries and no doubt digest the ATP’s disciplinary findings,” Pickleball Australia said in a letter to Kyrgios.
“Let’s us say straight up we are huge fans of yours and can’t wait until you are back on court doing what you do best. In the meantime, we have a proposal to put to you.
“Seeing as though you are free, why not come and play in the 2019 Australian Pickleball Championship in Brisbane next month?“
The inquiry may seem a flippant one to some but tournament spokesperson Nigel Wood confirmed that the invite was indeed genuine.
“Nick’s had an eventful year and we think he’d enjoy playing in a tournament like this where the emphasis is on having a good time,” he said. “He won’t find things as strict with us as he does with the ATP. Pickleball is really taking off and this is Nick’s chance to get in at the ground floor.”
