‘Back to the drawing board’: Kyrgios stuns crowd with audacious rally before wrist pain forces retirement

Nick Kyrgios’ tennis career is in jeopardy again after he retired from his first-round match at Indian Wells because of soreness in his surgically repaired right wrist.

The Australian star, who was playing only his fourth singles match since October 2022 because of wrist, knee and abdominal injuries, was visibly emotional after calling it quits while trailing Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (9-7), 3-0.

“We go back to the drawing board as a team and we try and figure out a way to get through these matches,” Kyrgios later told reporters.

“I would have loved to be able to finish that match, even if I lose just as a building block to say, ‘OK, I went out there and was competing with a very good player, and I had chances and set points and break points’.

“But now if I’m not finishing matches that becomes a concern.”

Kyrgios, who turns 30 in April, would have played against close friend and 24-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic if he had won his first singles match on the ATP Tour in 29 months.

He showed glimpses of his trademark flamboyancy in the early stages of the match against van de Zandschulp, especially when playing two “tweeners” in the one thrilling rally when the first-set scores favoured the Dutchman 2-1.

“I had glimpses of it tonight with the crowd going absolutely ballistic, and I’m playing amazing and I’m enjoying being out there,” said Kyrgios.

“The pain, it’s not great. I don’t know – I’ll just keep looking forward and try and do the right thing.”

Earlier in the week, a video surfaced on social media of Kyrgios hunched over at the back of a court and clutching at his right wrist before walking to the net and ending his hitting session with Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro.

That vision sparked speculation he may not even play at Indian Wells, where he was due to return from an abdominal issue that impacted him in his grand slam comeback at the Australian Open in January.

“Look, I was feeling great. I actually just practised for an hour, and [on the] second-to-last point, I felt my wrist a little bit,” Kyrgios told The Tennis Channel pre-tournament of the practice match.

“I mean, it seems to be that point where I can’t really catch a break at the moment with my body, but these are just things you have to navigate. You know we’re all navigating different things in our lives and these are just the challenges in front of me, so I’ll do everything I can to be ready.”

In the same interview, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist referenced how top-10 stars Juan Martin Del Potro, Dominic Thiem and Kei Nishikori never made it back to their best after their own wrist surgeries.

“It takes time to get back to that level that you once were, and you may not ever get there,” Kyrgios said.

Nick Kyrgios comes to terms with the injury that forced him out of the match at Indian Wells.Credit: Getty Images

“You know Thiem was a grand slam champion and wasn’t able to really scratch the surface coming back.

“So, I understand the challenge that was in front of me. It’s almost a bit tougher now because I see the reality of you know how my wrist is.”

Kyrgios’ injury hell began when he withdrew from the 2023 Australian Open because of a parameniscal cyst that was growing in his left meniscus.

He underwent surgery and missed several months, but he planned to play at Wimbledon that year – and even conducted a pre-tournament media conference – before pulling out only hours later and revealing he had torn a ligament in his right wrist.

Kyrgios striking the ball with power before retiring hurt.Credit: Getty Images

Another operation followed that sidelined Kyrgios for 18 months, and experts told him he may never play again.

However, Kyrgios made his much-anticipated return in late December in Brisbane, where he displayed encouraging form in a three-set defeat to French rising star Giovanni Mpetschi Perricard.

But he sought treatment on his arm during that match and was seen grabbing at his right biceps in his doubles match alongside Djokovic the next day.

Kyrgios then announced days later that he would not play his scheduled exhibition match against Djokovic at Melbourne Park and his Australian Open return was in some doubt because he had sustained a grade one abdominal strain.

He ended up playing in the tournament, but bowed out in straight sets to Brit Jacob Fearnley, after which he said: “Realistically, I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again.”

Kyrgios, who has won seven ATP singles titles, did not play competitively between then and Indian Wells, with this latest setback another major blow to his bid to play regularly on tour again.

Three Australians – Rinky Hijikata and qualifiers Kim Birrell and Adam Walton – advanced to the second round at Indian Wells, but fellow qualifiers Maya Joint, Li Tu and Maddison Inglis lost.

Hijikata swept aside Alexander Shevchenko 6-1, 6-3, Walton beat Giulio Zeppieri 7-5, 6-1 and Birrell downed Viktorija Golubic 6-4, 6-4.

There was also another setback for veteran Ajla Tomljanovic, who retired with a right shoulder injury after losing the first set 6-4 to American Caty McNally.

With Reuters

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