{"id":54248,"date":"2023-01-18T17:00:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T22:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=54248"},"modified":"2023-01-18T16:51:06","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T21:51:06","slug":"nick-kyrgios-is-a-major-miss-at-this-years-australian-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2023\/01\/18\/nick-kyrgios-is-a-major-miss-at-this-years-australian-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Kyrgios is a Major Miss at this Year’s Australian Open"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year’s sensational Grand Slam champion Nick Kyrgios has been sadly forced to withdraw from the Australian Open<\/a> 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 \u201cthrobbing pain\u201d and having \u201csleepless nights\u201d. 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\u2019s liking<\/a> (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.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2019t there to make up the numbers anymore, and with a real risk of injury aggravation, he opted against partaking.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a><\/div>\n