Nick Kyrgios retirement rumours swirl as Aussie slumps to new ATP rankings low
Nick Kyrgios has played just one match on the ATP Tour in 2023 and with his absence set to continue into the New Year, there are growing rumours that the Aussie maverick may have hit his last ball as a professional.
Kyrgios has been struggling with knee and wrist injuries after his fine performances last year reached a crescendo when he made it through to the Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic.
He lost that match on the Centre Court, but it appeared his career-best run at Wimbledon was the spark that could make Kyrgios a consistent contender at the top of the game.
Injury has destroyed that ambition, with Kyrgios pulling out of the Australian Open in January, as he missed out on the chance to play in front of his home fans.
Kyrgios then withdrew from the French Open after initially hinting he would play in Paris.
His appearance on a grass court in Stuttgart in June confirmed he was making a push to play at Wimbledon, but his defeat to Wu Yibing confirmed he was a long way off his best.
He then pulled out of Wimbledon just before the start of the tournament and released this statement: “I’m really sad to say that I have to withdraw from Wimbledon this year.
“During my comeback, I experienced some pain in my wrist during Mallorca. As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist.
“I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn’t have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon.”
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Hopes of a comeback that would include the US Open then evaporated, with the 28-year-old giving his fans hope that he may play again by posting a positive update on his progress in August.
“To my millions of fans out there, I guess we just have to be patient,” he declared.
“Trust me, I still have some fire left in the tank, my body just needs time to recover and get back.
“Everything off-court is doing great. l am eyeing to come back and have a season like my last again.”
Kyrgios appeared on a podcast with Mike Tyson in recent days and again suggested he is pushing to make a comeback.
“I am just trying to be able to get back as soon as possible because I do miss playing and especially being so close to winning Wimbledon last year, I know I’m right there,” he said.
The comments from Kyrgios suggest he still has ambitions to get back to his best and if he can solve his wrist problem and get his potent serve firing again, he could be a threat heading into 2024.
The inactivity of Kyrgios means he has slumped to 470 in the ATP rankings, but his profile in the sport would ensure wildcards would come his way for the top events if he tries to return to the tour.
Yet a player who has admitted his love of tennis has always been strained will have to defy his doubters to make a meaningful comeback.
