Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Australian Open 2023 without stepping foot on the court. The 27-year-old announced his decision on the eve of his opening match and said he was ‘devastated’ to have missed out on his home grand slam.
“It’s just bad timing. That’s life, you know. Injuries are part of sport…I’m not doubting that I’ll be back to my full strength. Devastated obviously,” said Kyrgios in a hastily arranged press conference.
“It’s my home tournament and going into this event as one of the favourites, it’s brutal.”
The Australian had been struggling with an ankle issue, leading into the event. Kyrgios’ physio Will Maher informed the media that a cyst had formed as a result of a small tear in his lateral meniscus.
The divisive Australian participated in a charity match alongside Novak Djokovic last Friday. Maher said the match was used to see if Kyrgios could compete at the Grand Slam. However, he “didn’t pull up great” from Friday’s match.
“We used the charity event against Novak to see if he could compete at the highest level…it was worth persevering to see if he can get back on court.”
The defending champion in the doubles is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove the cyst. The rehabilitation process may take five-six weeks and Kyrgios might only be available for Indian Wells which starts in March.
After years of underachieving, Kyrgios had a terrific run of form in the second half of 2022, winning the title in Washington and reaching his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon and the US Open quarter-finals.
In the Australian Open 2022, Kyrgios partnered up with his countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis and went the distance by winning the title at Melbourne Park.
Kyrgios has become the latest high-profile name to have withdrawn from the Australian Open. Previously, it was Japanese Naomi Osaka who withdrew from the tournament due to her pregnancy.
(With inputs from agencies)
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