12 months ago Nick Kyrgios was in the form of his life. Just weeks previously he had reached his maiden Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, and he then followed that by winning the ATP 500 event in Washington for the second time. Everything looked bright for the Australian.
Unfortunately, Kyrgios has had a more difficult time in the 12 months that have followed. He has been plagued by a knee injury that has led to him playing just one match all season. Now the ATP has confirmed the seven-time ATP champion has withdrawn from the tournament that he won last year. This makes him the second notable withdrawal after Daniil Medvedev also withdrew from the event. It is in the same week as Novak Djokovic’s decision not to play at the National Bank Open which takes place the week after the Citi Open.
There has been no official statement made by Kyrgios about his decision, but it seems clear that it’s related to his troublesome knee not being fully ready to play. It is understandable that the Wimbledon runner-up is being cautious. In the one match he did play this season at Stuttgart it was clear he had rushed back too quickly.
It is unknown currently where Kyrgios’s season will go from here. He may be tempted to try and risk playing the Masters events before the US Open and then the at Flushing Meadows itself as it is the final Grand Slam of the year. However, that leaves the risk of Kyrgios aggravating his injury even further by not letting it fully heal, as seemed to be the case when he played in Stuttgart. Playing at that pre-Wimbledon event was an understandable but also desperate decision to be fit and ready for Wimbledon when in reality it was never going to be possible.
Kyrgios may be a polarising figure in the tennis world, but it cannot be disputed that he attracts much attention to the tournaments that he partakes in. Are you disappointed that he will not be playing in Washington? Comment with your thoughts below.
Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
