Nick Kyrgios left the tennis world in shock after the Australian Open announcement

Nick Kyrgios has surprised the tennis world by withdrawing from the Australian Open less than 24 hours before he was due to play his first round match. The 27-year-old has cited a knee injury that reacted badly after his exhibition match against Novak Djokovic last Friday.

The tennis world was very saddened by the announcement, and fans were shocked by a strong growth around Kyrgios’ chances in his home grand slam tournament. The culprit was a torn meniscus in the knee that crushed last year’s Wimbledon runner-up.

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Kyrgios was forced to attend a press conference shortly after the announcement was made, saying he was “extremely disappointed with the turn of events after a strong 2022 campaign”. With his physiotherapist, Kyrgios said that the injury has only been discovered in recent weeks.

Earlier, he pulled out of the United Cup at short notice, sparking a brief war of words with Australian vice-captain Lleyton Hewitt. He was also late for the Adelaide International scratch.

“It doesn’t feel good. There’s constant throbbing. The lump in my knee is preventing me from moving. I’ve had trouble sleeping the last couple of days,” Kyrgios said.

“Bad timing. Injuries are part of the sport. I have no doubt I’ll be back to full strength. I’m absolutely devastated, of course, it’s my home Slam and going into this event as one of the favourites, it’s brutal.

This is my home tournament and of course I won the tournament in doubles and I’m probably playing the best tennis of my life. I can only return as best I can.

Her absence leaves Australia’s top men’s and women’s competitors out of the grand slam at Melbourne Park, with Alja Tomljanovic announcing her retirement at the weekend.

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Fans on social media were shocked by the news. The injury also means Kyrgios will not be able to defend his Australian Open doubles crown, which he won alongside Thanasi Kokkinaki in 2022.

A knee problem forces Nick Kyrgios out of the Australian Open

Kyrgios’ physio Will Maher joined the World No.21 to shed more light on why the Aussie superstar had to wait until the last minute to withdraw. He said Kyrgios had tried everything to prepare and the show against Djokovic was the last chance to test his recovery.

“We used the charity event against Novak to see if he could compete at the highest level,” Maher said. He didn’t take off great. It has been quite interrupted and difficult to manage.

“Last week, Nick has been experiencing some discomfort in his knee. He has a small tear in his lateral meniscus. It was worth the persistence to see if he could get back on the court. To Nicks credit, he did everything he could to get back on the court.

The 19th seed’s scratch is another hammer blow to the Melbourne Park major, which is already suffering from the withdrawal and retirement of superstars. Women’s title holder Ash Barty, seven-time champion Serena Williams, her sister Venus, two-time winner Naomi Osaka and retired legend Roger Federer are all missing in 2023.

After inspired runs to last year’s Wimbledon final and US Open quarter-finals, Kyrgios had high hopes of breaking his grand slam duck in Melbourne. His opponent, the Russian Roman Safiullan, thus advances to the second round.

with AAP

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