"Nick Kyrgios is not close to being fit, I knew right away that he was in trouble" - Mark Philippoussis

Australian tennis coach Mark Philippoussis has stated that Nick Kyrgios is far from being fit and that he has genuine concerns about his compatriot's knee injury.

Kyrgios pulled out of the Australian Open earlier this year citing a knee injury caused by a small tear to his lateral meniscus. The Australian underwent surgery in January. While the sustained injury forced him to remain on the sidelines for a long time, Kyrgios made a return to the tour at Stuttgart in June.

Reflecting on Kyrgios' return, Philippoussis said that the World No. 33 was not even close to full fitness at that time.

"He [Kyrgios] is not even close to being fit and I knew right away that he was in trouble," Philippoussis said at Wimbledon. "If he comes back too soon, which we've seen, and if he's not physically pushing himself on that knee to strengthen that joint, unfortunately I'm not sure how much we'll see."

Philippoussis claimed that it is better for Kyrgios to completely heal from the injury before planning on a comeback.

"You have to give yourself every opportunity to return and, if you are a big guy and you have a knee problem, you better get it right before you come back because it will only make things worse, you'll be out further," he continued.

Nick Kyrgios' untimely return cost him dearly as he was forced again to the sidelines. Following his campaign at the BOSS Open, he withdrew from the Halle Open and Wimbledon.

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It could be 'very dangerous' for Nick Kyrgios if he doesn't do the rehab work, says Mark Philippoussis

Nick Kyrgios at the 2023 Wimbledon Championship previews

Mark Philippoussis further claimed that it will be "very dangerous" for Nick Kyrgios if he decides not to undergo proper rehabilitation.

While acknowledging that the injury is not career-ending, he stated that such setbacks are not something you would want to waste a lot of time on.

"If he suffered that first major injury, I'm not saying he could end his career, but it could be very dangerous if he doesn't do that rehab work," the Australian coach said.

"He has to fear himself. He has become a knee expert after six knee surgeries and it's something you can't waste time on," he added.

Nick Kyrgios' only appearance this season came at the BOSS Open in Stuttgart, where he suffered a 7-5, 6-3 loss to Yibing Wu in the first round. Now with the Wimbledon withdrawal, the Australian's comeback on the tour remains a distant dream.