Comment: Nick Kyrgios’ shock Australian Open exit set to cost him ultimate career goal

The knock-on effects of Nick Kyrgios’ shock exit are far more troubling for him than simply missing out on this year’s Australian Open, writes Julian Linden.

Nick Kyrgios’ best chance of winning a slam is at the All England Club. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty

Nick Kyrgios was never going to win this year’s Australian Open but his sudden withdrawal from the tournament could cost him his ultimate dream of winning Wimbledon.

Despite all the hype that he’s generated in the build-up, Kyrgios was always just a long shot to win the Australian Open.

His record at Melbourne Park tells you everything you need to know about his prospects.

In his nine previous appearances in the main draw, he’d made it to the quarter-finals just once. That’s hardly championship winning form.

Melbourne Park’s baking hot hard courts just don’t suit his serve and volley game and after getting lumbered with a treacherous draw, his chances of breaking the drought this year were close to zero.

His chances were over before they even began and only the spin doctors running the tournament thought otherwise.

Nick Kyrgios’ best chance of winning a slam is at the All England Club. Picture: Clive Brunskill/Getty

AUSTRALIAN OPEN DAY ONE BLOG: NEWS, HIGHLIGHTS, RESULTS

But that’s not the worst of it. The knock-on effects are far more troubling for him.

Kyrgios was absolutely right to pull out from the event to protect his injured knee from sustaining any further damage, but that may come at a high price for the hot-headed Aussie.

Because he plays so few tournaments, Kyrgios isn’t ranked anywhere near his true ability, which means he remains vulnerable to getting bad draws.

His best chance of winning a grand slam is at Wimbledon because he’s one of only half a dozen players in the world who have mastered the intricacies of playing on grass.

But at age 27, his opportunities of winning the greatest prize in tennis are already running out, so if he’s ever going to win Wimbledon he needs to do it sooner rather than later.

Nick Kyrgios during his press conference. Picture: James D. Morgan/Getty

In making the final last year, Kyrgios showed what he is capable of doing at the All England club but a lot of cards also fell his way - with the banning of the Russians then the withdrawals of Matteo Berrettini and Rafael Nadal.

Kyrgios has let everyone know he fancies his chances at going one better at Wimbledon this year, but it’s also no secret he needs an ounce of luck - especially with the draw, because he has always struggled to string a lot of wins together.

More than any other player, Kyrgios needs some easy matches early on, which means getting a soft draw, and the only way to ensure that is with a high ranking.

There was a time when Wimbledon decided its own seedings, rewarding players who had performed well on grass, but those days have gone.

Wimbledon has abandoned that policy and now decides its seeding solely on the official world rankings.

And that’s bad news for Kyrgios, who is currently ranked 21st in the world.

A strong showing at the Australian Open would have seen him rise near the top 10, but his withdrawal means he will slip further down the list.

That’s already one big opportunity lost and now he’s facing a dilemma that looms as his worst nightmare.

Kyrgios is always at his best when he goes into tournaments fresh but to get a good seeding for Wimbledon he now faces the prospect of having to play more tournaments to improve his ranking.

And that’s just something his body might not be able to handle.

Originally published as Comment: Nick Kyrgios’ shock Australian Open exit set to cost him ultimate career goal