Last year’s sensational Grand Slam champion Nick Kyrgios has been sadly forced to withdraw from the Australian Open due to a recently sustained knee injury. As reported, a small tear in his lateral meniscus has become his enemy. The injury which leads to a build-up of fluid around the knee area has left the Aussie in “throbbing pain” and having “sleepless nights”. Kyrgios did all he could in a race against time but inevitably had to give up the fight. Even obscure knee drainage therapy which maybe got a bit too graphic for one’s liking (on Instagram anyway) was never going to be a long-term solution. Kyrgios is expected to return for the Sunshine double at Indian Wells and Miami in a couple of months.
His head physio Will Maher explained that it was a precautionary move and that while it is very possible that Kyrgios could have played, contending for the title would have been out of the equation. However, the world number 21 isn’t there to make up the numbers anymore, and with a real risk of injury aggravation, he opted against partaking.
In a way, this shows how far Kyrgios has come as perhaps a couple of years ago he would have just settled for a payday last 16 appearance. Previously he gave across the impression that tennis was a bore and a missed tournament was no worry.
Listening to his press conference on Monday though, it was apparent that the forced withdrawal ate away at him. He spoke about his grueling US Open quarter-final defeat to Karen Khachanov and how frustrated he was as he felt he had a realistic shot at Grand Slam glory. In his mind, the Australian Open was the next stop, and one he had a shot at winning. Naturally then, this injury piles on the misery, although he promises that this won’t be the end and that he will return to his brilliant best.
That isn’t confidence that is unfound either. 2022 was the season where Nick Kyrgios got his act together with his potential translating to performances. Yes, he was still quite a bit away from the top 5 (where he really should be based on talent) but a Wimbledon runner-up medal and a doubles grand slam, plus incredible performances such as facing Rublev at Miami and Medvedev at Tokyo showed that he meant business. It was no longer a case of: will Kyrgios turn up? It was a case of who turns up to stop Kyrgios?
What does this mean for the Australian Open then? Well, not only are they losing a fearless competitor, but they are losing a fan favourite. Not only are they losing a realistic contender, but they are losing a local homeboy. As Netflix’s Break Point showed they are losing a powerful character. Tennis is probably one of the least controversial sports in terms of bust-ups. Make no mistake there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The likes of Casper Ruud and Felix Auger-Aliassime are so likeable due to their complete professionalism and respect for opponents. Although, you cannot deny that a box-office Nick Kyrgios and Holger Rune clash would whet the appetite slightly more.
This adds to the Australian Open casualty list of major names such as Carlos Alcaraz, Paula Badosa, and Naomi Osaka. Four players as well who in their own right would have fancied their chances. Especially with Kyrgios, a crowd behind him and anything is possible. Sure, the opening week has been a thriller even in their absence but it has had a rather empty feeling.
The Aussie was on course to meet Novak Djokovic, which would have been a special match no doubt. Cast your mind back to Wimbledon. Who in the world of tennis wouldn’t want a sequel? Add the incredible home crowd into the potion, special. Really special.
No time for mourning, though. For all the disappointments there is no need to be all doom and gloom. 2023 can still be a year when he reaches new heights and by Indian Wells, it’ll be incredible to see him back. He has also previously mentioned he plans to play in the French Open this season as he and his girlfriend are in Paris at that time anyway (why else of course?). A good run of matches and come Wimbledon he will no doubt be one of the favourites. With the experience of last season’s heartache, he will be determined to go one better, and as unlikely as that sounds, it is Nick Kyrgios we are talking about here. Can you ever truly predict anything? No. He just does things differently on the court.
Main Photo from Getty Images
