Maverick Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has said he may stop playing tennis in the foreseeable future.

Quizzed on his future in the game in an interview with Sydney Morning Herald, Kyrgios quipped, “I qualify for my players’ pension now.”

“My body is sore”: Nick Kyrgios paints grim picture of tennis future

His remark had an echo of an interview he had given to the New York Times in 2016 when he said he would retire by the age of 27.

Specifying on the number, he had said, “Absolute max.”

Kyrgios, who holds six career Tour titles, has struggled with depression which had kept him out of tennis for a long time.

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“At the start of my career when I was about 15 or 16, I always used to say ‘If I make it, I don’t want to play past 27 or 28,” Kyrgios said.

The Australian said his body may not be able to take the rigors of professional tennis for much longer.

“Look, I took all my rehab for granted. I took all my gym sessions and that (for granted). All my coaches will tell you the same thing. I always made a joke about it but it’s not such a joke any more. I get sore, my body is sore,” Kyrgios said.

At 25, the maverick star believes he still has some tennis in him

Now 25, Kyrgios is planning a return to action with the Australian Open. While the thought of retirement is still very much there, Kyrgios said he still has some tennis left in him.

“I feel I have plenty more in the tank. I could play past that (28) if I wanted to. We’ll see. There’s always a question mark. Someone could call it tomorrow, you know what I mean? Something can happen where you don’t want to play any more.

“I wouldn’t say I’m putting a number on it at the moment,” the Australian said.

His extended spell away from tennis saw him drop out of the Top-10 in the ATP players’ rankings.

Kyrgios is currently placed 45th in the standings.