While Nick Kyrgios decided not to go to this year’s US Open from coronavirus worries, the Cypriot Australian tennis star has used his time more valuably, paying a virtual visit to the Queensland Children’s Hospital.
Hosted by Juiced TV on Thursday morning, the 25-year-old tennis player spoke with die-hard tennis fans Hayden, who was in hospital in Brisbane, and Claire at the Gold Coast University Hospital.
“I just want to say all you guys are amazing, you’re incredibly strong and I’m always thinking of you,” Kyrgios said from his Canberra home at the end of the visit.
“Stay strong, stay happy. I’d love to come back. I’d love to talk to more kids and also some of the workers.”
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During the interview he promised to send Hayden some autographs, accepted a challenge from patient Rezwan to play a tennis match against him and his brother, and sent a message to Emily, who is beginning treatment for leukaemia.
“Stay strong and I’ll be waiting for you when the treatment’s finished,” he said.
Not shy of adding to the media-driven feud between himself and some of the court’s best, Kyrgios said his favourite player to face off against is Roger Federer and his biggest rivals are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
The highlight of the interview though was when Kyrgios played a game of Pictionary with Hayden and Claire, laughing along as he seemed to mistake SpongeBob SquarePants for SpongeBob RoundPants.
He is the latest in a long list of celebrities, including Chris Hemsworth, Margot Robbie, and Johnny Depp, to visit the Queensland’s Children Hospital virtually since COVID-19 lockdown began.
