Australian Open title contender Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury.
Kyrgios had been hoping to win the tournament in his home country and start the 2023 season right after a monster year in 2022. But the 27-year-old, who was set to take on Roman Safiullin in the first round of the tournament Grand Slam, he needed to rescue.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
FILE – Nick Kyrgios of Australia speaks during a news conference after defeating Tseng Chun-Hsin of Taiwan during a singles match at the Rakuten Open tennis championship in Tokyo, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022.
(AP Photo/Shuji Kajiyama, File)
«Bad timing. Injuries are part of the sport,» he told reporters on Monday, via Wide World of Sports in Australia. «I’m devastated obviously, it’s my home hit.»
He said he started to feel soreness in his knee over the weekend and tried to use Friday’s exhibition against Nick Djokovic as a test to see if he could last a full match.
«He wanted to give me hope, I thought I had a chance,» added Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia serves to Daniil Medvedev during the second round of the National Bank Open tennis tournament on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, in Montreal.
(Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP)
AUSTRALIAN OPEN DIRECTOR WARNS NOVAK DJOKOVIC’S CRITICISMS WILL BE DELETED IF THEY «INTERRUPT» THE TOURNAMENT
Known for his bombastic attitude on court, Kyrgios had an excellent 2022 season. He had his best Wimbledon and US Open results of his career and won the Citi Open in Washington. He was runner-up at the All-England Club and reached the quarter-final at Flushing Meadows.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia in action during his match against Chun-Hsin Tseng of Taipei on day two of the Rakuten Japan Open at Ariake Coliseum on October 4, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan.
(Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
His decision to retire also came as Australian authorities are investigating whether he broke any laws when an image surfaced of him riding a scooter without a helmet, according to The Guardian. It is illegal to ride an electric scooter in Victoria without a helmet.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Victoria Police Commissioner Shane Patton said authorities would contact Kyrgios via Tennis Australia.