Nick Kyrgios says he plays tennis for the 'money' and the 'lifestyle'

Nick Kyrgios has made it clear that he is unwilling to bow down to other people's wishes and will carry on with his 'I don't care' attitude while also stating that he plays tennis for the money and the perks it provides rather than to become the best player in the world.

The 21-year-old Australian achieved his highest ranking in 2016 when he made it up to number 13 in the world while capturing three ATP Tour titles at Marseille, Atlanta and Japan. Kyrgios has been tipped to be a future star of men's tennis with even Rafael Nadal stating that he has the potential to be the world number one.

However, the Australian is more famous for his controversies rather than his performances. Kyrgios is currently serving an eight-week ban for deliberately underperforming during his loss to Mischa Zverev at the Shanghai Masters in October this year. He will make his return to action in time for the Australian Open which starts on 16 January.

While Kyrgios has admitted that he plays tennis for the 'money' and the 'lifestyle' he also indicated that he loves the sport because it helps inspire people and has also spoken about how he would like to help people once he has called time on his career.

"I love what you can get out of the game, everything that comes with it. I like the money, I like the lifestyle. I am absolutely blessed to be able to play a sport that gives you great rewards," Kyrgios said in an interview with the Straits Times.

"I travel to new places, meet new people, and see the world. I am incredibly lucky to do what I am doing. I love what you can get out of it, you can inspire a lot of people, you can help a lot of people after you finish," Kyrgios added.