The mother of Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios had players and parents in stitches as she officially opened the 2021 Margaret Court Cup at the Albury grasscourts on Thursday.
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Nill Krygios, a former Albury High School student, who spent her formative years on the Border before she moved to Canberra, offered some insight into what it's like being a parent of the ultra talented but often polarising figure.
She revealed she finds it difficult to watch her son's matches the older she gets.
"I don't watch him anymore, I'm a wreck," she laughed.
"A good friend and I went to the Australian Open one year and we had good seats. It was in the middle of the match or even before the match and I said to her 'I've just got to go to the ladies' and I never came back.
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"I love the atmosphere, but I think it's hard for parents to watch because we can't help.
"It doesn't matter what he does, whether he's behaving badly or winning, I can't do anything."
Nill was thrilled to be asked by tournament director Phil Shanahan to open the event and a return to the grasscourts in Albury brought back memories of Nick's years at the Margaret Court Cup as a junior.
"I remember Nick playing in this tournament when he was about eight and when I arrived here yesterday (Wednesday) I saw a shed that looked familiar," she said.
"I remember Nick was trying to beat a guy a lot bigger, taller and older than him and of course he lost badly.
"He threw a spit and I told him to get in the shed.
"I said 'don't come out until you've calmed down' because he was crying and carrying on because he lost.
"He was so competitive that he just couldn't hold onto his emotions. I guess he's got a little bit better, maybe (laughs).
"Being where I grew up in my last years of high school, I love it here.
"I would never have believed I would be here to open the event as opposed to just watching. It's very special."
Shanahan said it was great for Nill to share her journey with Nick as a parent and can't wait to see the tournament in full swing on Friday.
"We've got it started. We're well down on previous years with numbers, but the local kids are so excited to play a tournament after 12 months," he said.
"It's going to be a lot of fun over the next couple of days.
"We've got some great players on the Border and I really hope they all bring their best tennis here."
The teams event featured 13 sides on Thursday with De Minaur (Lachlan Rook, Luke Tinnock, Caspian Tuckwell, Ruby Hodgkin) the winners of division one against Hewitt (Sarah Munro, Nathaniel Graves, Leo Phijidvijan, Alyssa Cameron) 33-27.
In division two, Court (Billy Hilton, Lara Meagher, Will Fletcher, Jake Meagher) defeated Rosewall (Ella McDonell, Max Zemlyanskiy, Sofia Oliver, Leo Fletcher).
The sides were locked at 33-all before four players returned for super tiebreakers (first to 10 points), which was won by Court, 34-16.