Kyrgios Makes Special Connection At Charity Event

Nick Kyrgios has thrilled countless fans throughout the world with his tennis. But the Australian continues to prove that his kindness off the court makes an impact, too.

Kyrgios, who has ramped up the work with his NK Foundation in 2018, participated in the Get Set Games Charity Challenge at the Kaleen Tennis Club in Canberra, Australia on Saturday. The event raised more than $5,000 for his foundation.

But more important were the memories that Kyrgios helped create for the nearly 100 children in attendance. One girl, Loga Gandhi, caught Kyrgios’ eye.

For the past 18 months, the eight-year-old has been recovering from a bone marrow transplant that was performed to treat leukemia. Gandhi was forced to stop playing tennis once diagnosed with leukemia in order to focus on her recovery. So for Kyrgios, it was an honour just to be able to hit some balls with her.

“For her to come out to have a hit, she felt up to it and that was pretty special,” Kyrgios told the Canberra Times. “She found out about [her illness] when she started playing tennis, so she couldn’t continue. I put a whole bag of stuff — clothes, tennis racquets and everything — and gave it to her. To hit with her was great, I got pretty emotional. It was heartwarming, but it breaks me as well.”

The NK Foundation is continuing to raise funds in order to open a facility in Dandenong, Australia, where underprivileged youth can visit for a safe haven. There will be tennis courts, basketball courts, a gym and a pool to give kids a chance to participate in various physical activities when they might not have an opportunity to do so elsewhere.

Saturday’s charity event was just another example of what Kyrgios wants to do to help children for years to come. For all the kids who walked away with a smile on their face after taking a picture with this year’s Brisbane International champion or even getting to hit a ball with him, Kyrgios smiled, too.

“I was excited to get out here and to get out with the kids again,” Kyrgios said. “To see the smiles on their faces [is great].”

View Kyrgios’ Charity Profile