Nick
Kyrgios expressed his desire to retire from tennis less than a week after
withdrawing from the Australian Open for the second consecutive year. Kyrgios
had a minimal presence in the 2023 tennis season, participating in only one
match at the Stuttgart Open, where he suffered a defeat against Yibing Wu,
showcasing a performance far from his best.
Injuries
prevented the former Wimbledon finalist from being on the court just when it
seemed he was experiencing a definitive breakthrough in the latter part of
2022.
This period included his first Grand Slam final and a title at the
ATP
500 Washington Open. Recently, Kyrgios acknowledged in the On Purpose podcast
that he would have already retired from tennis if it weren't for the support of
his loved ones:
“If it was
up to me,” former world No. 13 said. “I don't really want to play any more, to
be honest. But I have to, almost. I have so much more to give.”
'I'm
exhausted, I'm tired. I've had three surgeries now. I'm only 28 years old. I
always wanted to be able to have a family and not be in pain. When I get up, I
can't walk without pain,” Kyrgios added.
"Even if I
won [Wimbledon], people would be like, 'Now do it again,' Kyrgios explained.
'That's the rat-race of life. How much is enough? I'm very content with my
life, I have more than enough to enjoy."
The Absence
from the 2024 Australian Open
Kyrgios
recently announced that he won't be participating in the upcoming Australian
Open, further deepening the uncertainty surrounding an imminent comeback. He
shared this information on his new OnlyFans account, adding to the speculation
about when he might return to competitive play.
'Obviously
had a really tough year with injury, had that knee surgery and came back a
little too soon, set me back a little bit,' Kyrgios said.
“So, this
is a very disappointing time for me, but I won't be able to compete at the 2024
Australian Open.”
The return
date of Kyrgios remains unknown. Initially expected to make a comeback at the
Ultimate Tennis Showdown in Seoul, starting on December 15, he has been
replaced by the Japanese player Yoshito Nishioka.
