In a shocking turn of events, Australian tennis superstar Nick Kyrgios has conceded that he may never play another singles match at the Australian Open again.
The 29-year-old’s first Grand Slam match in over two years ended in disappointment as he battled through an abdominal injury, losing to Brit Jacob Fearnley in straight sets.
A Brave but Painful Performance
Kyrgios looked a shadow of his former self, with his injury severely hampering his serve. However, he refused to give up, battling on bravely to avoid letting his fans down.
The packed crowd at the John Cain Arena was on their feet as he made some vintage efforts in the third set, despite being clearly in pain. Ultimately, he crashed to a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, 7-6 (7-2) loss.
A Heartbreaking Admission
Speaking after the match, Kyrgios admitted that he was “heartbroken” at being unable to perform at his best. He revealed that he only played on for the sake of the fans, saying: “I didn’t want to just throw in the towel and walk off or retire.
I was hurting physically but I respect my opponent and the fans that waited hours to come see me play.” He also hinted that this may be his last singles appearance at the Australian Open, saying: “Realistically I can’t see myself playing singles again here.”
Still Hope for the Future
Despite the setback, Kyrgios is still planning to team up with Thanasi Kokkinakis in the doubles and will continue to play out the season in singles.
He’s targeting a deep run at Wimbledon and is confident that if his body is feeling good, he can make some noise. Kyrgios also said that he has no regrets about his career to this point and is happy to have made it this far.
The Road to Recovery
Kyrgios has been struggling with injuries, including a crippling wrist injury that kept him out of action for some time.
He’s proud of his comeback, but admits that the abdominal injury made it too hard to compete. He’s now focused on managing his body and finding a way to play without pain.
As he said: “I’m happy to play through a bit of discomfort but when it gets to the point where I’m one of the biggest servers on tour and I’m getting out-served… Nick Kyrgios without his serve, I’m not a threat to many players.”