NICK Kyrgios\u2019 withdrawal from a second consecutive Australian Open campaign has raised questions about his future at the top of professional tennis.<\/p>\n
So much so, that The First Serve\u2019s Brett Phillips has said he has doubts that the Australian superstar will ever return.<\/p>\n
Kyrgios, 28, delivered a blow to Australian Open organisers on Saturday when announcing that he wouldn\u2019t be able to take part in the first Grand Slam of 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201c[I have] obviously had a really tough year with injury, had that knee surgery and came back a little too soon, [which] set me back a little bit [and I have] had some wrist issues,\u201d Kyrgios told subscribers on Onlyfans.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, this is a very disappointing time for me, but I won\u2019t be able to compete at the 2024 Australian Open.\u201d<\/p>\n
Krygios described the setback as \u201cheartbreaking\u201d. The 28-year-old withdrew on the eve of this year\u2019s Australian Open and has managed just one game this year, a first round loss in Germany in June.<\/p>\n
With Kyrgios declaring himself out of the Australian Open more than a month before that tournament begins, Phillips said he fears for the future of Australia\u2019s most talented player.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe injuries have caught up with him. I actually think he\u2019s going to struggle to get back, to be totally honest,\u201d Phillips told SEN Breakfast.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a plethora of stuff he can do away from tennis. He\u2019s dabbled in commentary recently and made a good fist of that, we know he\u2019s got a good IQ and he\u2019s got his foundation, he\u2019ll be in demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean he\u2019s 28. Nick Kyrgios never spoke about being a tennis player who was going to play deep into his 30s and have a long career of tennis, he spoke about being possibly retired two years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think these injuries, the knee, wrist, they\u2019re two of the worst you can get in tennis.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Juan Martin] Del Potro couldn\u2019t come back from a wrist injury, Roger Federer couldn\u2019t get back from a couple of knee surgeries\u2026 the physical demands of the game, if you look what has happened since Nick has been largely inactive, the breed of talent that\u2019s come through, they\u2019re at a whole other level.\u201d<\/p>\n
Furthermore, Phillips said he believes that if Kyrgios does return, he may struggle to mix it with the best.<\/p>\n
While men\u2019s tennis is still dominated by 36-year-old Novak Djokovic, who won another three Grand Slams in 2023, the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Holger Rune, all of who are 22 or younger and in the top 10, loom large as the next generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cKyrgios could come back and he\u2019s got his serve which could make him ultra-competitive but to go with these guys off the ground, your lateral movement, physicality, that\u2019s never been Nick\u2019s strong suit, to be totally honest,\u201d Phillips said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo I\u2019m fascinated. I think the longer he\u2019s out it\u2019s going to be harder for him to come back and whether he\u2019s got the total desire to come back, he\u2019s got so much going on that I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s absolute top billing for him to be a professional tennis player first and foremost, we\u2019ve questioned that for a number of years.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re just used to him not playing, which is the reality of the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kyrgios\u2019 career high ranking came in 2016 when he reached number 13 in the world, while he\u2019s amassed over $12 million in earnings as a professional tennis player.<\/p>\n
He has committed to a professional return and for now, will be a TV presence at Melbourne Olympic Park in January.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was so close to winning a Grand Slam [making last year\u2019s Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic], I want to make sure that my body is going to have the time it needs to come back, so please bear with me,\u201d Kyrgios said.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven though I won\u2019t be there competing this year at the AO, I still will be around, commentating matches, being around, I\u2019ve got some special things planned, so please be excited still.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know I\u2019ll be there and hopefully see all the fans. I\u2019ll see you there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Australian Open begins on 14 January, the first time in its history that the tournament will start on a Sunday.<\/p>\n