Nick Kyrgios will not be able to defend his Australian Open doubles title after withdrawing from the Grand Slam tournament on Monday due to a knee injury.
The Australian player has a small tear and a cyst in his lateral meniscus and will have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, which should put him out of action for about three to four weeks.
“I’m devastated. It’s brutal,” Kyrgios said. “This is my home tournament, and obviously winning the tournament in doubles [last year] and playing the best tennis of my life. All I can do is my best to come back.”
If Kyrgios can recover on time, this would put him back on the court in time for March’s Indian Wells tournament, viewed by many observers as a fifth major.
“Obviously, a mixture of emotions, [but] that’s life,” Kyrgios said. “It’s part of the sport. I’m not doubting that I’ll be back to my full strength.”
Kyrgios is coming off arguably his best season on tour. He clinched the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. Then he reached his first Grand Slam final at Wimbledon, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic. Kyrgios also enjoyed a career-best performance at the U.S. Open by reaching the quarterfinals. He also won his first tournament title since 2019 by capturing the Citi Open in Washington, D.C.
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However, last season was also tumultuous for the world No. 21. He earned several fines for on-court behavior, such as verbal abuse, audible obscenity and unsportsmanlike conduct. He even spit toward a fan during a match at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios also is facing charges from an ex-girlfriend on grounds that he allegedly assaulted her in December 2021. As of now, per CBS, the case has been adjourned until Feb. 3, and Kyrgios’s team is hoping to dismiss the case for mental health reasons.
