Nick Kyrgios’ participation in the Australian Open is now uncertain following his withdrawal from a recent exhibition match due to an abdominal injury. The Wimbledon 2022 finalist made his return to the tour last week in Brisbane, where he has only played one singles match since October 2022.
In a statement, Kyrgios revealed that an ultrasound confirmed a grade one strain. He expressed his intention to focus on recovery, stating, “I will be resting and doing everything I can to be OK by the Aus Open,” which starts this Sunday.
Kyrgios faced a challenging return, losing his opening singles match in Brisbane to France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a tightly contested three tie-break sets. After the match, he described feeling as if he had been “hit by a bus,” although he did progress to the second round in doubles, partnering with Novak Djokovic.
Reflecting on his condition, Kyrgios noted, “I think I almost need a miracle, and I need the stars to align for my wrist to hold up in a grand slam, for sure.” He added, “For my wrist, it’s all new ground now. It’s very sore… we were expecting that. Today is another building block in the journey.”
Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley remains hopeful for Kyrgios’ participation in Melbourne, characterizing the withdrawal as a “precautionary” measure.
