Nick Kyrgios confirms ‘heartbreaking’ Australian Open withdrawal as he asks for patience
Nick Kyrgios has officially ruled himself out of the Australian Open as he continues to battle injury problems.
The box office 28-year-old saw his whole 2023 season wiped out, although it was generally believed he would make it back in time for his home Slam next month.
Kyrgios appeared confident of being ready when he was a television analyst with the Tennis Channel for the ATP Finals in November, a role that he filled quite brilliantly.
However, his name was absent from the official list of entrants for the Australian Open last week, and he has now confirmed what everyone was starting to fear.
“Obviously had a really tough year with injury, had that knee surgery and came back a little bit too soon and set me back a little bit, then obviously had some wrist issues,” Kyrgios said his OnlyFans social media account.
“So this is a very disappointing time for me, but I won’t be able to compete at the 2024 Australian Open.
“Obviously heartbreaking. I’ve had so many amazing memories there and I just want to really get back to playing at the top of my game and doing it right and I need a little more time.
“I was so close to winning a grand slam – I want to make sure that my body is going to have the time it needs to come back, so please bear with me.”
When will Nick Kyrgios be back?
Kyrgios probably will be at the Australian Open in his new-found role as a broadcaster, simply because he was too good and too big a name not to be.
However, his future in terms of getting back on court looks a lot less certain.
Typically, Kyrgios has generally shown himself to be keen to play the Grand Slams but has never really shown a lot of thirst to play a regular schedule.
There is one exception to that Slams rule, though, which is Roland Garros. Claycourt tennis tends to require patience over power, and that doesn’t really suit Kyrgios, so he has generally always skipped it.
The will be very keen to be ready for grass season, though, and that will provide challenges. Kyrgios considers himself a genuine contender to win a Wimbledon title, but the grass season is short and directly follows a much longer clay one.
That means he will have difficulty to get up to speed for Wimbledon. He may, therefore, aim for the Sunshine Double in March for his comeback if possible.
It would allow him to get some meaningful tennis in before and after clay season and give him a chance to hit some rhythm in time for Wimbledon.
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