"It's just not enjoyable for me": Nick Kyrgios hints at retirement from singles category after Australian Open first round exit

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios has hinted that he might retire from playing singles tennis. The 29-year-old, who was once regarded as the best player in the country in the singles category, has recently returned to the court after spending nearly two years on the sidelines because of a serious wrist injury.

That return, as of now, has not gone according to the plan as he had a below-par outing in the Brisbane International and was knocked out of the Australian Open after losing in the first round to Jacob Fearnley in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-3, 7-6.

During the match, the Canberra-born star struggled with an abdomen issue. He even received a bit of treatment as well but managed to keep himself fit enough to play the full match. Talking after the match, Kyrgios admitted that he does not see himself playing in the singles category again at the Australian Open. He stated that playing sports at the highest level with so much pain is ‘not enjoyable’ for him and also expressed satisfaction that he does not have ‘any regrets’.

"Yeah, I mean, realistically I can't really see myself probably playing singles again here,” he said while talking to the media after the match. "Yeah, it's just not enjoyable for me. It's not enjoyable for me to go out there and not think tactically, enjoying the atmosphere, where am I going to hit the ball. It's like what am I doing to manage my body, this is painful, I can't do this because this hurts. That's not tennis to me. That's not sport. I'm happy to play through a bit of discomfort. When it gets to a point of -- I'm one of the biggest servers on tour and I'm getting out served tonight. My average serve speed was beneath 200. I mean, Nick Kyrgios without his serve is probably not -- I'm not a threat to many players. No regrets. I've had an amazing career, my journey is not over, but I've had an amazing journey. My career's been amazing. I don't have any regrets."