Nick Kyrgios says he doesn't want the Australian Open to be cancelled and has backtracked on comments supporting unvaccinated athletes; "I don't think it's morally right to accept players from overseas that aren't vaccinated to come into our country"
Tuesday 16 November 2021 13:55, UK
Nick Kyrgios has backtracked on comments supporting unvaccinated athletes, saying it would not be "morally right" to let them play at the Australian Open.
Australian government officials have said unvaccinated players will be barred from the Grand Slam in January, casting doubt on whether men's world No 1 and reigning champion Novak Djokovic will defend his title.
Kyrgios generated headlines on Tuesday after calling for his home major in Melbourne to be cancelled and saying it was "morally wrong" to force athletes to get vaccinated.
Later on Tuesday, Kyrgios said his comments had been taken out of context.
"To say that I'd want the Australian Open cancelled, I think that was the sentence that got taken out of context," he said in a video on his Instagram account.
"It's more so for the people of Melbourne, who have gone through hell and back.
"I think it's been nearly 300 days of lockdown and your freedom has been, you know, taken away from you.
"I don't think it's morally right to accept players from overseas that aren't vaccinated to come into our country," said Kyrgios.
Kyrgios said on his podcast that he was "double-vaxxed" but didn't think it was right to force anyone, let alone athletes, to get vaccinated.
"(NBA player) Kyrie (Irving), Novak (Djokovic), these guys have given so much, sacrificed so much," he said.
"They're global athletes who millions of people look up to, and I just feel like it's so morally wrong to force someone to get vaxxed.
"There's other solutions around it."
The sports minister of Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, was confused by Kyrgios's comments but reiterated that unvaccinated players would be banned from the tournament, along with unvaccinated fans and staff.
"I really like Nick Kyrgios and I cheer for him every time he plays and I certainly don't want to have beef with Nick Kyrgios, but I actually couldn't follow the logic of his comments," minister Martin Pakula said.
"We've had a long lockdown, so the Australian Open shouldn't proceed? I'm not sure I follow that.
"I think the opposite applies.
"Melburnians, Victorians and, frankly all Australians, are absolutely gagging for major events."
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