Nick KyrgiosTravel Australian Open The men’s doubles final has brought him closer to his ailing mother Norlaila as she hails each of her victories from the crowd.
Kyrgios and his doubles partner Thanasi Kokinakis are now just one match away from claiming the Australian Open doubles title.
The Australian pair will face off against fellow Australians Matt Ebden and Max Purcell in Saturday night’s much-anticipated final.
The ‘Special K’ hasn’t been terrific during its doubles campaign, with performances in the semi-finals being the most-watched tennis match in Australia in the past 15 years.
Nick’s older brother Christos Kyrgios said his mother has been suffering from heart problems in recent years and is unable to see Kyrgios on court.
A young Nick Kyrgios is seen with his mother Norlaila, who has been encouraging him through her wonderful duet campaign.
Nick’s parents, Norlaila and Giorgos Kyrgios, are seen at the 2015 Davis Cup
‘He’s a fighter. She has some heart problems and with the increasing stress of watching Nick’s matches, she hasn’t even been able to watch him on TV at all over the years,’ Christos revealed. the herald sun,
‘But this couple campaign has really allowed her to be involved and be in front of the court, which is great to see.’
Ms Kyrgios shared a photo last week of her son watching her drink a glass of red wine on TV and she would cheer him up again on Saturday night.
In September last year, 26-year-old Kyrgios skipped every tournament he played for the rest of the year, claiming he was sick of being on the road and wanted to spend time with his ailing mother.
He also indicated that he may be away from tennis altogether in the next five years.
“As long as I’m on the court, I’ll try and give my best but I’m not going to lie and say I plan to play for four or five more years on tour, it’s not just me,” he said .
Kyrgios is pictured with his family. Last September he pulled out of the tournament to be with his mother.
‘I have to go back home, I have been traveling for four and a half months, my mother is not feeling well, I want to go back and meet her.’
‘I want to spend time with my family.’
Back in February when players were complaining about strict quarantine measures ahead of last year’s Australian Open, Kyrgios said he would be more than happy to part ways.
‘It’s not about me. My mother is incredibly sick,’ Kyrgios said.
Kyrgios’ mother is seen in front of the court during the 2016 Australian Open
‘There’s a lot of risk in all of this. I don’t understand what makes it difficult for tennis players to understand.
‘Like, you’re just a tennis player. Do you know what I mean? This is not life and death.’
All eyes are now on star couple Kyrgios and Kokinakis, who prove to be a pair made in heaven.
The two have known each other since they were kids and played together in the junior ranks, achieving the junior Wimbledon doubles crown in 2013.
All eyes are now on star couple Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokinakis who have known each other since they were kids (pictured at the 2013 Junior Wimbledon)
They befriended him by traveling the country and participating in the same tournaments, with Kokinakis saying that he remembered Kyrgios as a ‘chubby kid from Canberra’.
Kyrgios had earlier said, ‘Energy with Thanasi, it’s always a pleasure to play with you bro.
“It’s about the Aus Open guys, playing for them is more important than our doubles success,” he said.
Kokinakis and Kyrgios will win the doubles Australian Open on Saturday night
‘I just want to give people a show. It is the funniest experience I have ever had on the court.
Kokinakis said he was feeding off the reaction of the field but found it very relaxing to play with his teammate.
‘We are able to feed each other and talk nonsense between points. We just have fun there,’ he said.