"I don't pretend to be sad; the least surprising withdrawal" - Tennis fans react to Nick Kyrgios pulling out of Wimbledon 2023

Tennis fans have shared their reactions to Nick Kyrgios’ last-minute withdrawal from the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

On Sunday, July 2, Kyrgios announced that he won’t be contesting the Championships this year. The Aussie was present at the SW19 and was gearing up for his first-round match against last year’s quarterfinalist David Goffin.

The 2022 runner-up, however, declared himself physically unfit to take to the court due to a wrist injury he picked up during his recent trip to Mallorca. The World No. 33 explained that he suffered a ligament tear in his wrist and was unable to manage the injury in time for the grasscourt Slam.

“I experienced some pain in my wrist during the week of Mallorca. 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,” Nick Kyrgios said on social media.

Tennis fans expressed their feelings about the controversial player’s withdrawal.

"I don't pretend to be sad," one fan confessed.

Kyrgios was slapped with a hefty fine due to his involvement in numerous controversies during his SW19 final run last year. Many tennis fans were thus indifferent to the 28-year-old's withdrawal.

"Oh no, what a terrible tragedy I won't get to see him whine about the colour of the towels," one fan said, sarcastically.

Here are a few more reactions from tennis fans:

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"I don't think I've got anything left to prove in my career" – Nick Kyrgios prior to his Wimbledon withdrawal

Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon in 2022

Nick Kyrgios produced some of his best results in 2022, making it one of the most successful years of his career thus far. The former World No. 13 lifted his maiden Grand Slam trophy alongside partner Thanasi Kokkinakis in the men’s doubles category at the 2022 Australian Open.

Kyrgios then obtained his career-best Grand Slam singles result at Wimbledon by making the finals. The Aussie also clinched two other doubles titles as well as an ATP 500 singles title in Washington.

His 2023 season, however, hasn’t panned out as he would have hoped. He has been on the sidelines for the most part this year, recuperating from a knee surgery he underwent in January.

Wimbledon 2023 is Kyrgios’ third consecutive Grand Slam withdrawal. The 28-year-old is yet to compete in a Major since his quarterfinal exit at the 2022 US Open. Moreover, he only played one match this year so far – an opening-round loss to China’s Yibing Wu at the Stuttgart Open in June.

Despite the setback, the Aussie stated that he has nothing left to prove after the success he has experienced on the court throughout his career.

“I don't think I've got anything left to prove in my career to be honest. I’ve beaten some amazing players, won some really big tournaments, final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles Grand Slam. I feel like now, this is why you work. So you can actually have fun and just enjoy it,” he said during a recent interview, as per the ATP Tour.

“People always say once you have results, that's when the pressure starts kicking in. But for me, it's been the reverse my whole career,” he added.

Reflecting on his loss to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final last year, Kyrgios stated that he has no regrets about losing to the ‘greatest player of all time’ after challenging him in a four-setter.

“I was one short but I'm not sad about saying I lost to the greatest player of all time and gave him a real match,” he said.