Nick Kyrgios at the sod turning for the Gunghalin tennis centre. Photos: Ian Bushnell.
Deep down Nick Kyrgios is still a Watson kid who can’t stay away from his hometown.
Now at the back end of an injury-riddled career, the gifted but flawed tennis star has hinted at moving into coaching, and channeling that talent into kids like him, possibly at the long-awaited $10 million tennis centre now under construction in Amaroo.
Kyrgios was the guest of honour – as he was in 2022 when a design contract was awarded – at a sod turning ceremony with tennis officials and government ministers on a blustery Friday morning.
We learned that he loathed playing in the wind, something the 10-court centre might have to mitigate given the location next to the playing fields, or at least players will have to adapt to, when the centre is up and running in 18 months’ time.
Kyrgios has hit the 30 mark and while he believes he still has a bit more tennis left in him, he was in a reflective mood, with his mind turning to the future and now understanding the importance of mentors and coaches in young players’ formative years.
He said the facilities when he started out in Watson as a seven-year-old weren’t great so it was special to see this centre get going.
“To see more kids being able to get out and play, it’s important for me to go out there and and show that anything’s possible,” Kyrgios said.
“So as much as I can help, and get into that coaching role as my career gets to that point where I may not be able to play for much longer. So to see this happen, it’s actually special for me.”
Kyrgios said he already had been involved in practice squads on the Lyneham courts with his good friend and old coach Todd [Larkham], so it was on the horizon.
“That’s probably the most powerful thing out of my career, being able to do things and help kids when they come to me,” he said.
“I was a very insecure kid when I was growing up playing sports, so it’s been one of the most amazing things in my career, helping the youth and being a role model. I didn’t understand it then, but now I do.”
Nick Kyrgios makes it official, with Tennis ACT CEO Mark La Brooy, Tennis ACT President Ben Fuller, Minister Yvette Berry, local MLA Michael Pettersson and Tennis Australia’s Brent Larkham.
A critic of the length of the tennis tour, Kyrgios said Australian players were particularly disadvantaged.
“It’s not realistic, especially for a kid from Australia traveling eight to nine months a year; it’s ridiculous ,” he said. But he isn’t hopeful of any change soon.
His immediate future is a day-to-day proposition with some exhibition games in the offing, particularly a Battle of the Sexes showdown with world No 1 women’s tennis player Aryna Sabalenka.
He would train for the Australian Open in January, but an appearance seems no certainty.
As well as 10 courts, the new $9.9m centre will have two Hot Shots courts, a practice wall, and a modern pavilion with changerooms, amenities, and a community space. The site will also include LED lighting for night play.
It is being delivered in partnership with Tennis Australia and Tennis ACT, which contributed $200,000 each to the project.
An artist’s impression of the Gungahlin tennis centre. Image: ACT Government.
Sport and Recreation Minister Yvette Berry said project costs had risen since 2022 when it was expected to cost $8.3m.
Ms Berry said a combination of a complex site, having to do due diligence and finding space in the ACT Budget had contributed to the long lead time for the project, which had been a 2020 election promise.
But it was now at an exciting stage and would be an important asset not just for Gungahlin but Canberra, particularly for talented youngsters who could have a shot of turning tennis into a career like Kyrgios.
“I was so pleased to see Nick Kyrgios here today because he’s the kind of example that we want to show young people that you can have the chance by playing on a local facility like the one that will be built here in Gungahlin to play for your country.”
Tennis ACT CEO Mark La Brooy said the centre would fill a gap in playing facilities in the Gungahlin area.
“There’s been a dire shortage of courts in the Gungahlin area for quite a period of time, obviously a huge growth corridor within the ACT,” he said.
“So to see this project come to light, 10 new hardcourts in the region is definitely going to service the community, from grassroots all the way through to high performance.”
Tennis Australia’s Brent Larkham said Canberra had a rich history of producing tennis talent like Kyrgios and the new centre would open up more opportunities for young stars to come though.
Mr Larkham said there were lucrative financial rewards playing competitive tennis that compared favourably with other major sports.
“It’s a fantastic opportunity for any young Canberrans to get down here and have a go,” he said.
“This is where it starts, like Nick says, every young tennis player started somewhere randomly, some small tennis centre somewhere or a backyard.
“You don’t always have to go on to be professional; tennis is a sport for life.”
The centre is designed to be a hub for the sport and would support a wide range of programs, from junior development to all-abilities tennis.
All courts will be available for online booking through the Tennis Australia platform, ensuring the facility can be enjoyed by players of all ages and abilities.
