Nick Kyrgios out of Australian Open, will have knee surgery

A "devastated” Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the Australian Open on Monday - the day before he was scheduled to play his first-round singles match - because of an injured left knee that needs arthroscopic surgery.

Kyrgios, a 27-year-old from Australia, was the runner-up to Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year in singles and teamed with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis to claim the men's doubles championship at the 2022 Australian Open.

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Kyrgios was considered the host country’s strongest chance to win a title at Melbourne Park this year; no man from Australia has won the singles trophy there since 1976.

Australia's Nick Kyrgios reacts as he announces his withdrawal from the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday. AP

"Just bad timing. But that’s life,” said a downcast Kyrgios, who occasionally lowered his head or covered his face with a hand during a news conference at Melbourne Park alongside his physical therapist, Will Maher. "Injury is a part of the sport.”

Kyrgios announced his withdrawal on Day 1 of action at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

"I’m just exhausted from everything. Obviously pretty brutal,” Kyrgios said of the decision to sit out. "One of the most important tournaments of my career. Hasn’t been easy at all.”

He was seeded 19th in Melbourne and was supposed to face Roman Safiullin in the first round on Tuesday.

"Barely had a good night’s sleep the last four, five nights. It’s just been throbbing. ... Every time I land on serve or push off my serve, you can see on the side of my knee there’s like a little lump. That lump will eventually just get bigger and bigger," Kyrgios said. "There’s pressure on my knee (that) obviously hinders my movement. Yeah, the only real way to get rid of it is to open up and then just get rid of it.”

Associated Press