Kyrgios: "I'm realistic, I don't see myself playing in the Australian Open again"

The Australian fueled retirement rumors by presenting a very poor physical image in his first-round loss to Jacob Fearnley

Óscar Belloch | 13 Jan 2025 | 15.01
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Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open 2025. Photo: Getty
Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open 2025. Photo: Getty

Nick Kyrgios could not demonstrate his level at the 2025 Australian Open. After two editions absent due to injuries, just five days before his debut, it was revealed that he suffered an abdominal injury, which meant he would not be at 100%, especially in five-set matches. Nevertheless, the Australian's desire to play in front of his people and to dazzle with his amazing shots prevailed, although he ended up losing in straight sets to the British player Jacob Fearnley (7-6 6-3 7-6).

Since the return of Nick Kyrgios to the courts in the 2025 Australian tour after nearly two years off the ATP circuit, the Australian has not stopped showing his worst side by making incendiary statements towards other tennis players. For example, he has been most critical of the doping cases of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Nick spoke at a press conference to assess his brief stint in the individual draw of the 2025 Australian Open, where he still has to play doubles with his compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis.

- A physically challenging match

"It's amazing to be back, the atmosphere has been incredible even though it wasn't my best performance. I knew it would be difficult due to my physical condition and that I would be limited in my serve. It would have been easy not to play, but seeing the lines of four or five hours that the fans stood in to watch me was enough reason to step onto the court", Nick recounted.

Despite the injury, Nick wanted to acknowledge Fearnley's performance: "I want to give all the credit to my opponent. He played very well tonight, and I was impressed by his level, hitting the ball very flat and aggressively."

- Retirement?

In recent months, Kyrgios has been fueling rumors about his retirement: "I'm realistic, I don't see myself playing singles here again. The fans' affection has been special, and I still have to play doubles. Today I stepped onto the court because I respect the fans and my opponent. I'm not sure if I'll come back here, that's why I wanted to enter the stadium without headphones, to be able to hear the warmth of the crowd and feel those special moments".

- Current level

Nick was asked if he still felt he had a good level of tennis: "I don't know. I was knocking on the door of winning the big tournaments, and I worked hard in the past year to come back. It's tough to see yourself in finals and then struggle to win sets due to physical limitations, although I still have a long year ahead. I trust the process and believe I still have good things to do this season".

"The operation on my wrist was 16 months ago, and I haven't played in a Grand Slam for 859 days... I was motivated, in the gym, and in good shape. Today, I felt weak, not knowing how to handle my body, and that is painful. For me, this is not tennis or sport".

- Future goals

"My career is not over, but I have had a great journey so far. Wimbledon is a major goal for me, I hope my body feels good, and I can thrill the crowd there. I will continue trying to have fun and be real. I want to enjoy; I have already had many successes, more than many athletes have had".

Nick Kyrgios will debut in the doubles draw (which they won in 2022) alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis. Their opponents will be fellow Australians James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Kyrgios: "Soy realista, no me veo jugando de nuevo el Open de Australia"