January, 16 2023.
Home favourite, Nick Kyrgios has added to the long list of stars, who have pulled out of the first Grand Slam of the year, 2023 - the Australian Open.
The 27 year old Australian withdrew from the tournament, he was ranked amongst the favourites, to land the title, with a knee injury.
Announcing the withdrawal, a day before he was scheduled to play his opening match, kygrios said he was “devastated” when it was medically certified that, he could not play in Melbourne.
The Wimbledon runner-up, who is seeded 19th, was chasing his first major in tennis, and was set to play Russia’s Roman Safiullin on Tuesday.
Kyrgios, a home favorite, with some cult follower-ship of a sort, was considered among the favourites to win the title, but he said it appeared as if he “didn’t pull up great” from an exhibition with former No. 1 Novak Djokovic on Friday.
The Serbian is back in Melbourne, after last year's deportation drama, seeking to win a record 10th Australian Open crown.
Top seed and World No. 2, Spain's Rafael Nadal, a record 22-time Grand Slam winner has rated 5th seeded Djukovic as the clear favourite, to win in Melbourne, and equal his own record of singles titles, won at grand slams.
Credit: Chinedum Ohanusi