Nick Kyrgios has ruled himself out of the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, citing the Australian Olympic Committee's "unfair and unjust treatment" of him.
Kyrgios and the AOC have publicly been at odds with each other since the nation's Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller voiced concerns over the 21-year-old's behaviour leading into the Games.
Both Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic had been singled out before the latter withdrew himself from contention for the Olympics following controversial comments last month.
And Kyrgios, who reached the French Open third round, has followed suit, insisting he has been forced into a decision by the AOC, two months out from the Games.
"It is with a heavy heart that I have had to make a decision not to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Coming to this decision has been a lengthy and difficult process, and I am extremely disappointed to have been put in this unfortunate position," a statement read via Kyrgios' official website.
"Representing Australia at the Olympic Games has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. Playing in the Olympics was a goal this year; I planned my tournament schedule around Rio and made sure to fulfil my Olympic eligibility. 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.
"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."
"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. 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. I also don't want the AOC's treatment of me to become a distraction and negatively affect the Australian Olympic team."
"I am grateful to Tennis Australia for standing by me through this process and nominating me for the team. I also want to thank the public and the members of the media who have voiced their support."
"I am a proud Australian and have always loved representing my country. I am fortunate to be young enough to hopefully have a chance to wear the green and gold at the Olympics in the future. I hope that in four years I will find myself in the position to be a part of the Australian Olympic team.
"I would like to wish every athlete representing Australia the best of luck this August and will be following their progress and supporting and cheering them from afar."
Tennis Australia stands by Kyrgios
Tennis Australia has thrown its support behind Kyrgios after he made himself unavailable for the Olympic Games, with the governing body "very disappointed" the nation's top-ranked player was forced into the position by the Australian Olympic Committee.
Kyrgios cited the AOC's "unfair and unjust treatment" of him, having been placed under the spotlight following countryman Bernard Tomic's controversial actions at last month's Internazionali d'Italia, where he held the head of the racquet instead of the handle on match point, before responding by saying "would you care if you were 23 and worth $10million?".
Tomic later ruled himself out of the upcoming Olympics.
And TA leapt to the defence of 21-year-old Kyrgios, praising his improved behaviour on the ATP Tour circuit, after a controversial 2015.
"We understand Nick's decision and totally support him and his right to make it," TA president Steve Healy said in a statement. "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.
"As we've said recently Nick's performances this year have improved. His growing maturity is reflected in his on court performance, with only world number one Novak Djokovic defeating more top ten players than Nick has this year. He has received support from a lot of other tennis players and athletes. But now Nick has made this difficult decision we should let him focus on his tennis without further distraction."
Chiller also released a statement of her own via the AOC's official website, which read: "According to his website, Nick Kyrgios, has made himself unavailable for selection on the 2016 Australian Olympic Team. Tennis Australia is due to nominate athletes to the AOC for selection on the 30th of June. The International Tennis Federation [ITF] rankings are released on June 6th. On the 9th of June the ITF will inform the AOC of eligible players.
"Tennis Australia will identify athletes for selection based on these rankings. At this point, Nick Kyrgios, or any other tennis athlete, has not been nominated for selection on the Australian Olympic Team. In regard to selection every athlete in contention is treated equally and fairly. We have no further comment on this issue."
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