Fiery Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios on Friday pulled out of the Rio Olympics, blaming "unwarranted attacks" on him by Australian Olympic chiefs after he was warned to behave.
His decision follows fellow Australian Bernard Tomic making himself unavailable for Games selection last month after widespread criticism about his recent on-court attitude and behaviour.
"Unfortunately, while I have expressed every intention of trying to win a medal for my country in Rio, it's very clear to me that the Australian Olympic Committee has other plans," the world number 19 said in a statement.
"AOC's unfair and unjust treatment of me over the last four weeks, as well as the organisation's crystal clear position on whether they want me to be a part of the Australian Olympic team, has solidified my final decision."
His bombshell announcement follows a war of words with the AOC's chef de mission Kitty Chiller, who had voiced concerns over selecting Kyrgios and Tomic due to their behaviour.
She acknowledged Kyrgios' decision in a brief statement Friday, adding that "in regard to selection every athlete in contention is treated equally and fairly".
"We have no further comment on this issue."
Volatile 21-year-old Kyrgios is no stranger to controversy, frequently falling foul of tennis authorities.
Most recently, he received a code violation at the French Open for shouting at a ball boy and was fined for an audible obscenity during his thrashing at the hands of Richard Gasquet.
He said playing for Australia at the Olympics had been a childhood dream and blasted the AOC for not talking to him.
"While I have received assurances from Tennis Australia that I will be nominated for the Olympic team, the AOC has chosen to publicly and privately disparage me," he said.
"Not one member of the AOC has reached out to me, my family, my team, or representatives of Tennis Australia, asking for a meeting or the opportunity to discuss their concerns.
"The AOC's unwarranted attacks on me demonstrate the organisation's inability to understand the circumstances surrounding highly competitive sports."
In the wake of Chiller's criticism, Tennis Australia publicly backed Kyrgios, saying he was making a concerted effort to improve his performance and behaviour.
TA president Steve Healy said Friday that Kyrgios continued to have the organisation's support.
"We understand Nick's decision and totally support him and his right to make it," Healy said. "But we are very disappointed that he has been put in this position.
"Nick is a passionate competitor and he's working hard to learn and mature in a highly pressurised environment where he is under constant public scrutiny."
Tennis Australia is due to make its Olympic selections on June 30, based on rankings. With Kyrgios and Tomic out of the running, John Millman (61) and Jordan Thompson (94) are next in line.
AFP
Fri Jun 03 2016
Nick Kyrgios (pic) on Friday pulled out of the Rio Olympics, blaming "unwarranted attacks" on him by Australian Olympic chiefs. - AFP photo
[TERKINI] Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang tidak akan jawab surat Bersatu
Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gantang, Datuk Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal menegaskan tidak akan menjawab surat arahan yang dihantar Bersatu.
Negara mempunyai pengalaman kendali pemahaman ekstremis
Justeru demi menangani isu ini dengan lebih baik pada masa mendatang, Felo Bersekutu, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) The Hague, Dr Ahmad El Muhammady berpandangan suatu sistem amaran perlu diwujudkan lebih awal.
Ahli silap mata David Copperfield dituduh beri dadah, perkosa 16 wanita
Tiga daripada mangsa mendakwa telah diberi dadah sebelum melakukan hubungan seks.
Serangan Balai Polis Ulu Tiram: Kediaman Konstabel Muhamad Syafiq jadi tumpuan
Kediaman Konstabel Muhamad Syafiq Ahmad Said, 24, di Taman Seri Mahkota Jaya, Gambang menjadi tumpuan orang ramai.
AWANI Ringkas: Faisal Halim akan jalani pembedahan keempat
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
[TERKINI] Dua individu ditahan cuba masuk Istana, parang dirampas
Polis menahan dua lelaki yang cuba memasuki Istana Negara dan mendakwa mahu berjumpa Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Ibrahim, pada Jumaat.
Kerajaan sedia pakej internet berkelajuan tinggi untuk langganan sekolah KPM mulai 1 Julai - Fahmi
Kerajaan akan menyediakan pakej khas langganan internet jalur lebar talian tetap berkelajuan tinggi untuk dilanggan sekolah-sekolah di bawah Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) mulai 1 Julai ini.
Remaja hilang ditemukan lemas di Sungai Besut
Seorang remaja lelaki yang tenggelam ketika mandi di Sungai Besut di Kampung Tanjung Lali, dekat Kampung Raja di sini kira-kira 5 petang semalam, ditemukan mati lemas pagi ini.
Sokong PM: 'Saya tidak akan jawab surat Bersatu' - Syed Abu Hussin
Syed Abu Hussin menyifatkan surat itu tidak membawa apa-apa makna kepadanya.
Serangan Balai Polis: PDRM pantau kemungkinan kewujudan kumpulan pengganas
Saifuddin berkata, pihak polis mempunyai pengalaman selama 217 tahun, dan beliau menzahirkan keyakinan terhadap kemampuan polis untuk mengurus insiden tersebut, serta terus membuat pemantauan terhadap sebarang kemungkinan kewujudan kumpulan pengganas.