Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios is an Australian professional tennis player. He achieved his highest ranking – world number 13 in men’s singles – in 2016 and has won seven ATP Tour singles titles. In 2022, he made it to the Wimbledon finals where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic in four sets. Kyrios is recognised as one of only three players who has beaten Federer, Djokovic and Nadal on their first encounter. Kyrgios’ tennis career has not been short of controversy. He has been fined for unsportsmanlike conduct and has been criticised for using an underarm serve to gain the upper hand on his opponents. Since 2021, Kyrgios has been plagued by a knee injury which has seen him step off of the court and into the commentary box.
Nick Kyrgios does not shy away from talking about veganism. Unlike many athletes, Kyrgios did not go vegan for health reasons; he adopted a vegan diet because he loves animals and the environment. He wrote, on Athlete’s Voice, a website to which he is a contributing writer:
“I’ve been passionate about animal welfare for some time now. I don’t eat meat or dairy anymore. That’s not for my health, I just don’t believe in eating animals. I tried a vegan diet a couple of years ago but with all the travel I do, it was hard to stick to it. Since then I’ve managed to make it work, and I’ve been vegetarian for quite a while.”
In 2022, he told BBC Sport:
“People always ask me, is it for health? It’s not for health because I don’t mind a pint of beer so I’m actually just doing it for the love of animals. I love animals and it’s so hard for me to eat them. I just don’t want to be doing that. I drive an electric car now, I’m trying to do as much as I can for the environment. You ask someone why do you eat meat or why do you drive a petrol car, and it’s like, ‘oh, it’s too late to do anything, it’s too late to save” and I’m just trying to be the change that I want to see. But that’s it. I love animals and I love the world, I love the environment, so I’m doing everything I can to prolong its welfare.”
