Nick Kyrgios
The annus horribilis of Nick Kyrgios just got even worse after the Australian was forced to withdraw from the US Open due to injury.
It means that Kyrgios, last season’s Wimbledon finalist who nearly broke into the world’s top 10 in the summer of 2022, has missed all four Grand Slam events this year.
He could slip out of the world’s top 100 due to his injury-decimated 2023 campaign, which would mean that he’d need to rely on wild cards and qualifiers to participate in the best tournaments in 2024.
The penny seemed to drop for Kyrgios last season, with his run to the Wimbledon final followed by progress to the quarter-finals at the US Open.
He was considered to be amongst the favorites for the Flushing Meadows extravaganza in 2023 as well, however the latest tennis odds from Betfair reflect his now confirmed absence from the tournament. Novak Djokovic (+150) remains amongst the market leaders, with Daniil Medvedev (+600), Frances Tiafoe (+3300) and Taylor Fritz (+3300) also considered to be strong contenders for the title.
As for Kyrgios, it’s not known whether his withdrawal from the US Open is due to the wrist injury that forced him to miss Wimbledon or a new ailment entirely. A knee problem experienced at the start of 2023 ended up requiring surgery, which kept the 28-year-old out of his home Australian Open before a foot injury saw him swerve the French Open as well.
All told, Kyrgios has played just one ATP Tour-level match over the course of 2023 – a real shame for a player of such prodigious talent who finally seemed to have made the breakthrough last term.
Let’s hope the Aussie can come back swinging soon…
While Kyrgios plots his way back to the top level of tennis, another talented young player looks to have navigated choppy waters of his own.
After reaching the final of the Australian Open in 2022, Daniil Medvedev didn’t go beyond the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for 18 months. The Russian, who had been one of the most consistent players on the ATP Tour circuit, was in the doldrums.
But he headed to Wimbledon in the summer of 2023 with renewed vigor – interacting with the fans and giving light-hearted interviews after his matches, Medvedev’s demeanor was a far cry from the surly figure he has cut in the past.
The 27-year-old only dropped one set on his way to the last eight at SW19, where he knocked out surprise package Christopher Eubanks. Defeat in the semi-finals followed, but it was a marked return to form for one of the best defensive players in world tennis.
A former US Open champion, Medvedev may well now be eyeing more glory at Flushing Meadows – his results at the Canadian Open suggest that his form has travelled well from the grass courts of London to the hard surfaces of North America.
The Russian is into the quarters in Toronto, adding more energy to the fantastic momentum he has shown in recent months. Who knows where that will take him…