Nick Kyrgios leaves the Australian camp at the 2023 United Cup minutes before the team press conference
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Nick Kyrgios
Nick Kyrgios, the highest-ranked Australian on the ATP Tour will be absent from national duty. With the ATP and WTA joining hands to introduce the United Cup, a mixed-gender event, there was quite a lot of excitement for the inaugural edition. With the event to be held in Australia, Kyrgios and Co. were one of the favorites for the title.
Kyrgios had a brilliant 2022 season. He was ranked World No. 134 at the start of the 2021 season. His consistency in making deep runs into draws across surfaces saw him finish the season as World No. 22. Many Australians were hoping to see him lead the Aussies to victory at the 2023 United Cup. All hopes got shattered.
Citing a niggle, Kyrgios chose not to risk his body for the United Cup. An injured Kyrgios would have been a liability for the Australian team. The risk of his injury worsening could affect his 2023 season as well. So it does seem a wise decision by the 27-year-old. The timing was, however, surprising for everyone, including his teammates.
“We literally just found out 10 minutes ago,” said Australian team captain Sam Stosur at the press conference where Kyrgios was a notable absentee. Stosur had set a lot of expectations for Kyrgios going into the tournament. However, similar to many fans of Kyrgios and the team, Stosur will also be disappointed by the former World No. 13’s withdrawal.
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Nick Kyrgios’ misfortune with national representation
Not turning up for national duty has always landed Nick Kyrgios huge criticism. While he has been inconsistent with his own scheduling, he has not made himself available for Australia at all times. The blame lies on both the player and the management. A young Kyrgios was not always the federation’s favorite player and he was not picked, as claimed by the enfant terrible of tennis.
When he was in form, he gave the federation a taste of its own medicine. Australia was looking for Kyrgios to join them for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals where they finished runner-up. The World No. 22 did not join his compatriots for a chance to win the ‘World Cup of Tennis’ and when criticized hit back with years of disrespect towards him.
Forgetting the treatment, Kyrgios had shown excitement to play in the United Cup this year. He last played for Australia in Davis Cup in the 2019 edition. At the ATP Cup, he was a part of the team in 2020. The United Cup would have ended that drought of his absence from the national team. The latest untimely injury now sees him miss yet another team event for Australia,
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Sarthak Shitole
(3462 Articles Published)