Nick Kyrgios has not played a professional tennis match for over a year and the Australian has admitted that he is unsure if he will make a comeback in the sport
Nick Kyrgios has admitted to harbouring doubts about his return to tennis.
The Australian athlete’s last match in 2023 saw him bowing out after only one game, putting him on a two-year absence from Wimbledon’s Grand Slam tournament. His hiatus was forced by a series of injuries that have seen him frustratingly sidelined.
In his most recent outing, Kyrgios found himself parrying blows from Yibing Wu at the ATP Stuttgart Open in June last year, suffering a 7-5, 6-3 loss. Frances Tiafoe went ahead to win the tournament. Some reports claim that Kyrgios secretly underwent surgery at the Calvary Adelaide Hospital to address a persisting wrist problem which had been impairing his routine activities, such as opening his car door.
As he convalesces, Kyrgios has pondered his tennis legacy and whether he should continue playing. As a guest on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored show, Kyrgios admitted: “I’ve genuinely thought about, ‘is it worth me doing all of this? ‘… I wasn’t having the improvement in my wrist that I wanted, and I was like, maybe I’ll never get back to that level,” reports the Express.
He added: “I haven’t had as much success, to say as Andy Murray or Novak, but I’ve had a great time, and I’ve had more success than most athletes do have. So I can’t be selfish in wanting more, I don’t think.” Speaking on the support received during tough times, he said: “I mean, everyone’s really supportive. But my partner has been such a support.
“My girlfriend sees the ups and downs of you know, she was there when I had an amazing run and nearly one Wimbledon, and then she’s with me now when I’m injured. So she’s there by my side through literally the best year of my career, and now not being able to play a professional tennis match for a year. So that’s been a real help.”
While he’s not gracing the courts of Wimbledon this summer, Kyrgios is currently lending his expertise as a pundit for BBC during the tournament, providing commentary on select matches. Despite never clinching a Singles Grand Slam title, Kyrgios boasts a Doubles title from the Australian Open in 2022, where he and Thanasi Kokkinakis stormed through the competition before defeating fellow Aussies Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in the final 7-5, 6-4.
His best performance at Wimbledon’s Centre Court came in the form of a 2022 run. Initial victories over Paul Jubb, Filip Krajinovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas led him to face Brandon Nakashima in the round of 16, where he triumphed over the American with 6-4, 7-6 and 6-2 games in the best of five series. A walkover with Rafael Nadal would land him in the final of the coveted tournament, albeit up against one of the best in the world in Novak Djokovic.
While Kyrgios would take the first game 6-4, consecutive 3-6, 4-6 and 6-7 losses to the Serbian would see him walk away from the tournament empty-handed. Wimbledon 2024 kicked off on Monday and will run until its final on Sunday, July 14.
