The South East Melbourne Phoenix have announced that tennis star, Nick Kyrgios, has joined their ownership group that is managed by Romie Chaudhari and includes LA Clippers point guard, John Wall and former NBA players, Al Harrington, Josh Childress, Dante Exum, and Zach Randolph.

Kyrgios’ investment into the Phoenix comes after he invested in the Miami-based Major League Pickleball franchise.

Additionally, the new investment partnership will be managed by Kyrgios’ agent, Stuart Duguid and financial advisor, Alex Cohen.

Commenting on Kyrgios joining the ownership group, Chaudhari, said: “I’m really excited to welcome Nick and his team into our ownership group.”

“I consider him a good friend and I am proud of the wonderful year he has had despite all the criticism that has been thrown at him throughout his career.

“It has been a pleasure getting to know him off the court, he is a great person and has a great team around him too.

“The Phoenix look forward to undertaking many initiatives with him and his Foundation.

“Its mission meshes well with our organization’s community-driven focus in the basketball heartland of South East Melbourne.

“I look forward to witnessing Nick’s continued success at the upcoming Australian Open,” he said.

Phoenix CEO, Tommy Greer, added: “Adding one of the most talented and biggest names in a global sport such as tennis is exciting for the club, especially given the fact that he’s Australian, loves the game of basketball, and enjoyed undertaking this venture with Romie.”

“Getting a person like Nick to join our ownership is a testament to the club’s vision and how much we have been able to achieve over our first few seasons, two of which were severely impacted by the Covid pandemic,” he said.