Huge injury blow for Nick Kyrgios just ahead of Wimbledon as his surgically repaired knee puts a huge dent in his preparation
- Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from Halle Open
- Wimbledon preparations are in disarray
- The 28-year-old was a finalist in 2022
- Long-term knee injury is restricting his mobility
Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from this week’s grass-court Halle Open due to ongoing issues with the knee he had surgery on – but last year’s men’s singles finalist is still insisting he’s hopeful of competing at the grand slam.
The Australian star was announced on Monday as a non-starter in the German warm-up event, citing his the knee injury that kept him out of this year’s Australian Open as the reason.
But in a press release and video issued by the Halle organisers, the 28-year-old was remaining upbeat.
‘Very unfortunate news. I won’t be able to compete at Halle this year. I’m still dealing with a couple of things with my knee. Just trying to give myself the best opportunity to compete at Wimbledon,’ Kyrgios said.
‘As you all know, that tournament means a lot to me and I just want to do everything right by my body.
Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from this week’s Halle Open in Germany as doubts grow over his fitness ahead of Wimbledon
The 28-year-old said he is ‘trying to give myself the best opportunity to compete at Wimbledon’, which starts on July 3
‘I tried everything here in Halle the last couple of days, but then I had to make the decision to pull out. I want, when I play, to deliver a performance like last year when I was in the semi-finals. But that will really not be possible.’
Kyrgios only made his comeback to action last week after being sidelined all season following knee surgery – but struggled as he went out in the first round in Stuttgart, beaten by grass-court newcomer Wu Yibing 7-5 6-3.
Moving around gingerly, Kyrgios looked as if he might have been making his comeback too early, and was clearly reluctant to race around the court.
During the changeover after the third game of the second set Kyrgios could be overheard saying to his team: ‘I feel my knee every point. I can’t walk without pain.’
After hobbling off the court, the man from Canberra wrote on social media last week: ‘Be patient with me my fans please. It’s a process to get back to where I was.
‘I know it’s hard for you to see me perform like today, but I need more time and hopefully can get back to where I was.’
Kyrgios returned to the court last week following knee surgery but was beaten by grass-court newcomer Wu Yibing 7-5 6-3 at the Stuttgart Open (pictured, at Wimbledon last year)
The Aussie (pictured, with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) made the final at the All England Club in 2022, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic
Halle organisers said Kyrgios had since felt a recurrence of the knee issue while training in Germany.
So whether the man who took the peerless Novak Djokovic to four sets in last year’s Wimbledon final can now be in any shape to do himself justice again still looks unlikely with the slam beginning on July 3.
He had been due to play Lorenzo Sonego in Tuesday’s opening round in Halle but his withdrawal has allowed Russian Aslan Karatsev, the former Australian Open semi-finalist, to step into his place as a lucky loser.
If Kyrgios decides to also bypass the ATP events in Mallorca or Eastbourne next week, the last chance for him to get in the competitive groove, he will go into Wimbledon having played just one tour match – a losing one – in nine months.