Jan 9 (Reuters) – Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios said on Friday he will not play in the singles competition at this month’s Australian Open as he is not ready to play five-set matches.
The 30-year-old Australian, who reached the quarter-finals of his home Grand Slam in 2015 but has struggled with a series of injuries in recent seasons, will only feature in the doubles at the event, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 18.
“After some good conversations with TA (Tennis Australia), I’ve made the call to focus on doubles for this year’s AO,” Kyrgios wrote on social media.
“I’m fit and back on court, but five-setters are a different beast and I’m not quite ready to go the distance yet.
“This tournament means everything to me, but I’d rather give my spot to someone who’s ready to make their moment count.
“It’s all building blocks and I’ll be back next year and pumped to compete. See you out there.”
Kyrgios has undergone wrist reconstruction and had two knee surgeries since losing in the 2022 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic and is currently ranked 670th in the world.
He was defeated in straight sets in the opening round of the Brisbane Open by Aleksander Kovacevic on Tuesday and would have been seeking a wildcard to play singles at Melbourne Park.
Kyrgios won the men’s doubles at the Australian Open in 2022 when he partnered compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis to defeat fellow Australians Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in straight sets in the final.
(Reporting by Michael Church, Editing by Peter Rutherford)
