'That's just not me': Nick Kyrgios to return home and contemplate future

The 26-year-old is poised to return home to Canberra to be with his unwell mother, bringing down the curtain on his season with his next appearance likely to be the Australian Open.

The mercurial Kyrgios failed to lift Team World as he went down 6-3 6-4 to Stefanos Tsitsipas, with the world No.3 extending Team Europe's dominance in Boston.

Now Kyrgios will fly home and ponder his future in the sport while spending time with family, adamant he has "nothing left to prove" to himself.

"Definitely, this is my last event of the year. You know, I need to go back home," Kyrgios said.

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"I have been travelling for four and a half months now. My mum is not doing too well with her health. I'd like to go back and see her.

"Obviously the conditions in Australia aren't ideal at the moment, but I don't want to be on the road playing tennis when I want to spend time with my family.

"I feel like I'm not one of those players now that's going to go hunting for points or hunting for accolades or anything like that. I feel like I have nothing left to prove to myself. I'm incredibly proud of what I have achieved."

Kyrgios has long been one of the most divisive athletes in both tennis and Australian sport, with his scintillating talent thrilling fans from the moment he stunned Rafael Nadal as an 18-year-old, yet also leaving so much to be desired.

Tsitsipas left nothing to chance when the pair collided in Boston, using his serve to overwhelm Kyrgios and control the rallies before ultimately sealing the win with a solid forehand passing shot.

Kyrgios declared in June he was ready to return to the circuit and jump in the deep end at Wimbledon following 18 months at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

But now the Australian firebrand is taking a step back from the game until January, when he returns to play in front of home crowds at the Melbourne Park complex.

"This is about my eighth year on tour. I feel like I have been around for a long, long time," Kyrgios said.

"I have not had a long career, but for me, I always wanted to come on tour to beat the best players, show my personality, and then create a platform where I was able to help others.

"I feel like that's what I have done. That's what I have proven. Where I go from here, everything's a bonus. I'm playing Laver Cup again, and I'm not going to lie, I think this is my last year I will probably play Laver Cup.

"That's just the way I feel. As long as I'm on the court, I will try and give my best, but I'm not going to lie and say that I'm going to plan to play four or five more years on tour.

"That's just not me."

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