Nick Kyrgios has unashamedly bragged about a six-figure payday for a tournament in Saudi Arabia, much to the ire of his Davis Cup teammates.
Kyrgios opted to skip Australia’s Davis Cup charge which resulted in the team of Alex de Minaur, Jordan Thompson, Thanasi Kokkinakis, Max Purcell and Matt Ebden falling to Canada in the final.
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It was Australia’s first time reaching the Davis Cup final in 19 years, but they couldn’t keep up with Canada’s firepower who were led by Felix Auger-Aliassime and Denis Shapovalov.
Kyrgios enjoyed a career-best season in 2022, reaching his first ever Grand Slam final after a blistering Wimbledon run.
After being knocked out of the ATP Finals doubles event, Kyrgios opted to once again not join his Australian counterparts for the Davis Cup.
Instead he made the deicion to take park in a lucrative exhibition event in Saudi Arabia for the Diriyah Tennis Cup, earning himself a six-fugre pay cheque.
The event has drawn widespread backlash with British number one Cameron Norrie being heavily criticised for agreeing to take part in the event.
Kyrgios however wasn’t hiding from the fact, instead offering up a humble brag about the incoming payday.
“Saudi Arabia and Dubai is all that’s left. You know I gotta get the bag,” he wrote on Instagram.
Some of tennis’ big names will take part in the exhibition events in Saudi Arabia with Daniil Medvedev, Alex Zverev, Dominic Thiem, Stan Wawrinka and Andrey Rublev.
The event which runs from December 8 to December 10 with the winner earning $1 million in prizemoney.
Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt revealed he has done everything he can to convince Kyrgios to return to play for Australia.
Kyrgios’ absence from the Aussie team now stretches back three years.
Hewitt and semi-final hero Alex de Minaur said after the loss to Canada in Malaga they had both tried to entice Kyrgios back into the Aussie squad.
“I don’t know, you have to ask him. I can’t try any harder,” Hewitt said in the post tie press conference, according to tennis journalist Gaspar Ribeiro Lanca.
De Minaur also said: “I’ve tried. Just wasn’t meant to be.”
