Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of Wimbledon just hours before first round action was scheduled to get underway at the All England Club.
Kyrgios has been on the comeback trail from surgery on a knee injury that forced him out of the Australian Open in January.
But it’s a fresh wrist injury that has ruled the Aussie out of Wimbledon, where he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final last year.
AS IT HAPPENED: The Ashes second Test, day five
READ MORE: Tensions rise as England fumes over Bairstow stumping
ASHES HIGHLIGHTS: Broad’s swipe at Aussies after Bairstow drama
Kyrgios made the announcement on Instagram on Monday morning (AEST).
“I’m really sad to say that I have to withdraw from Wimbledon this year,” he said.
“I tried my hardest to be ready after my surgery and to be able to step on the Wimbledon courts again.
“During my comeback, I experienced pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca.
Watch Wimbledon 2023 live and free on 9Now.
“As a precaution I had it scanned and it came back showing a torn ligament in my wrist.
“I tried everything to be able to play and I am disappointed to say that I just didn’t have enough time to manage it before Wimbledon.
“I’ll be back, and as always, I appreciate the support from my fans.”
Kyrgios was the 30th seed coming into Wimbledon and was set to face Belgium’s David Goffin on Monday night in a first round match-up.
Wimbledon was to be the first Grand Slam appearance this year for Kyrgios, though that looks more likely to come at the US Open later this year, assuming he is fit.
The wrist injury is the third this year for the Canberra native. He suffered a laceration to his foot trying to thwart an attempted robbery, which put him out of Roland Garros.
Kyrgios has contested just one tournament this year, falling in the first round of the Stuttgart Open to China’s Wu Yibing.
The withdrawal comes as a surprise after the 28-year-old had been practicing in the week leading up to Wimbledon without any trouble.
– With Damien McCartney
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!
Tennis world No.1s: Here is every man to hold top spot since computer rankings were introduced
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
