Nick Kyrgios sensationally withdraws from the Australian Open with a knee injury 

BREAKING NEWS: ‘Devastated’ Nick Kyrgios sensationally withdraws from the Australian Open with a knee injury just a day before his first-round match: ‘It’s brutal … I was playing the best tennis of my life’

  • Shocking news comes after Aussie star was originally struggling with bad ankle
  • Star has a tear in his lateral meniscus and a cyst on the joint, an MRI revealed
  • Injury isn’t career-threatening, Kyrgios confident he’ll make full recovery

Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian Open with a knee injury just a day before he was due to play his first-round match against Roman Safiullin.

The 27-year-old was Australia’s best chance of taking out a title at the grand slam and was originally battling an ankle injury that prevented him from competing in any of the warm-up tournaments before play started at Melbourne Park.

A routine MRI that was done after Kyrgios suffered discomfort in his knee revealed that he has a tear in his lateral meniscus and a cyst, his physiotherapist Will Maher explained.

Kyrgios cut a forlorn figure as he announced he’s been forced to pull out of his home grand slam (pictured): ‘I’m devastated, obviously’

The 19th seed for the Open said he was playing possibly the best tennis of his life - making his forced withdrawal even harder to bear

The 19th seed for the Open said he was playing possibly the best tennis of his life – making his forced withdrawal even harder to bear

The great Aussie hope (pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) said the injury isn't career-threatening and he has no doubt he'll make a full recovery

The great Aussie hope (pictured with girlfriend Costeen Hatzi) said the injury isn’t career-threatening and he has no doubt he’ll make a full recovery 

The injury isn’t serious enough to be career-threatening and it only became a problem in the last two weeks, he said. 

The star said he was shattered to have to withdraw from his home grand slam, where many rated him a chance of going one better than he did at Wimbledon, where he lost the final to Novak Djokovic last year.

‘I’m devastated, obviously,’ he said at a press conference just after the news broke on Monday afternoon.

‘It’s my home tournament and obviously winning the tournament and playing the best tennis of my life, probably. 

‘All I can do is my best to come back … It’s brutal. Obviously a mixture of emotions … that’s life. It’s part of the sport.

Kyrgios's physiotherapist Will Maher joined the star to deliver the news that shocked the tennis world on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before he was due to take to the court

Kyrgios’s physiotherapist Will Maher joined the star to deliver the news that shocked the tennis world on Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours before he was due to take to the court

‘I’m not doubting that I’ll be back to my full strength.

‘I’m just exhausted from everything. One of the most important tournaments of my career. Hasn’t been easy at all.’ 

Kyrgios will head to his home town of Canberra for surgery on the injury in the next fortnight.

His withdrawal is the latest in a series of blows for the Australian Open, which has already lost major drawcards Naomi Osaka, men’s world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz, and Australia’s best hope in the women’s singles, Ajla Tomljanovic.

Kyrgios’s doubles partner and great mate Thanasi Kokkinakis – with whom he won the men’s doubles title at last year’s Australian Open – is also sure to be shattered by the news. 

Kyrgios and his team used last Friday night's charity match against Novak Djokovic (pictured) as an acid test to see if he'd be able to play on - but he pulled up poorly

Kyrgios and his team used last Friday night’s charity match against Novak Djokovic (pictured) as an acid test to see if he’d be able to play on – but he pulled up poorly

The 27-year-old also pulled out of December's United Cup 24 hours before he was due to play, but that was due to an ankle injury he sustained in Dubai

The 27-year-old also pulled out of December’s United Cup 24 hours before he was due to play, but that was due to an ankle injury he sustained in Dubai 

Maher explained that the injury would have become worse had the star tried to play through it after he didn’t recover when he played Novak Djokovic in a charity match last Friday night.

‘We used the charity event against Novak to see if he could compete at the highest level,’ Maher said.

‘He didn’t pull up great. It’s been a pretty interrupted and difficult lead-in.

‘In the last week Nick has experienced discomfort in his knee … it was worth perservering to see if he can get back on court.

‘To Nick’s credit, he did everything to get back on court.’ 

Kyrgios also pulled out of the United Cup team tournament just 24 hours before Australia’s first game in late December, but cited an ankle injury he suffered in Dubai as the reason.

Australian team captain Lleyton Hewitt accused the star of ‘throwing me under the bus’ with his late withdrawal. 

source: dailymail.co.uk