"He was happy to sit in his room and play video games all the time, his shoulder would hurt him from how much he would play"- Nick Kyrgios' mother Norlaila Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios' mother, Norlaila Kyrgios, has said that her son is finally appreciating where he is at the moment.
The 27-year-old reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon after Rafael Nadal withdrew before their semifinal clash due to an abdominal injury. Earlier, Kyrgios had beaten Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round and Cristian Garin in the quarterfinals.
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Thank you for another year of unforgettable moments at The Championships
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While speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald (as quoted by Eurosport), Kyrgios' mother said that her son is appreciating where he is and that he used to sit in his room and play video games all the time, which hurt his shoulder.
"He's finally appreciating where he is, that's the best thing about all this," Norlaila Kyrgios said. "Beforehand it was so hard for us to get him to do anything. He was happy to sit in his room and play video games all the time. His shoulder would hurt him from how much he would play."
Norlaila also gave a few examples of when her son would not want to visit famous tourist spots and instead was happy to sit in his room.
"In Beijing we wanted him to walk the Great Wall of China with us, Who wouldn't, right? But Nick wouldn't go. He was happy to sit in his room and order in, that's what worried me. I remember in Canada we said, 'Let's go to Niagara Falls'. He wouldn't even go there. Nick wouldn't want to do those things," the 27-year-old's mother added.
Earlier this year, Nick Kyrgios opened up about his mental health problems, saying that he had some pretty dark thoughts about life.
The World No. 40's mother said that things have been a lot different since this year's Australian Open, where Kyrgios won the men's doubles crown with Thanasi Kokkinakis. She said that she was glad the 27-year-old understands that life does not revolve around tennis.
“Wow, there's such a difference now," Norlaila Kyrgios said. "I see it on his [Instagram] stories. Since the Australian Open this year [in January], he has started doing some things.He now understands that life doesn't revolve around tennis. No one expects him to be like that. You have to enjoy your life. I'm really happy he is now."
Nick Kyrgios will take on Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final
Kyrgios will lock horns with Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday. This will be the third meeting between the two players, with the Australian leading the head-to-head 2-0.
Djokovic. Kyrgios.
Centre Court. Sunday.
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The Australian received a walkover into the title round after Rafael Nadal had to withdraw from the tournament due to an abdominal muscle tear that he aggravated in his match against Taylor Fritz.