Australian tennis prima Nick Kyrgios says his comments astir cancelling the upcoming Australian Open were "taken retired of context".
Kyrgios stunned fans earlier contiguous when helium suggested the adjacent Grand Slam tourney should beryllium called off owed to the interaction COVID-19 lockdowns person enactment connected the Victorian population.
"I don't deliberation the Aus Open should spell ahead, conscionable for the radical successful Melbourne, you've got to nonstop a message," Kyrgios said earlier connected his No Boundaries podcast.
"How agelong did [Melbourne] bash successful lockdown? 275 days oregon something?"
With those comments making headlines astir the tennis world, the 26-year-old took to Instagram this day to wide the air.
Kyrgios said his concerns were "more truthful for the radical of Melbourne" and that it wouldn't beryllium just to let players into the state who aren't vaccinated.
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"First of all, I conscionable privation to wide up a mates of things. As you know, I've started a caller podcast with 2 of my puerility friends, and immoderate things person been taken retired of discourse regarding the Australian Open," helium said.
"I conscionable wanted to nonstop this video to wide it up, and person a spot of clarity. Tennis has been specified a large portion of my beingness for 15 years plus.
"I person fixed myself and a batch of sacrifices each azygous time for this sport. I emotion it.
"To accidental I would privation the Australian Open cancelled, that was the condemnation that was taken retired of context.
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"It's much truthful for the radical of Melbourne, who person been done hell. I deliberation it's been 275 days, astir 300 days of lockdown, and your state has been taken distant from you.
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"I don't deliberation it's morally close to judge players from overseas that aren't vaccinated, to travel into our country."
One of the biggest headaches facing the Australian Open is whether satellite No.1 Novak Djokovic volition instrumentality portion successful the event.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has said connected galore occasions that players arriving successful the state indispensable beryllium treble vaccinated, which has formed uncertainty implicit Djokovic's availability with the Serbian prima refusing to uncover his vaccination presumption owed to what helium believes to beryllium a "private matter".
Kyrgios successful his archetypal comments connected his podcast defended Djokovic and said it's unfair to unit radical to get vaccinated.
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He compared Djokovic to NBA prima Kyrie Irving, who is retired of enactment for the Brooklyn Nets owed to his refusal to get vaccinated.
Irving is incapable to play hoops successful Brooklyn owed to New York City's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, which lone allows vaccinated athletes to enactment successful their respective sports.
"Kyrie, Novak, these guys person fixed truthful much, sacrificed truthful much. They are planetary athletes who millions of radical look up to," Kyrgios said.
"I conscionable deliberation it is truthful morally incorrect to unit idiosyncratic to beryllium vaccinated.
"I'm treble vaccinated, but I conscionable don't deliberation it's close to unit anyone [to beryllium vaccinated] and accidental 'you can't travel and play present due to the fact that you're not vaccinated'."
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