Nick Kyrgios pulls out of Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open

Nick Kyrgios' desired comeback to the tour at the Indian Wells Masters has not gone to plan as the Australian tennis star recently pulled out of both Indian Wells and the Miami Open. Kyrgios, who is still recovering from knee surgery, earlier had plans to start his 2023 season at the California Masters event.

Kyrgios underwent surgery in mid-January, while the Australian Open was still ongoing, to repair a tear in his left lateral meniscus. He revealed the diagnosis and the need for surgery as he announced his withdrawal from his home Grand Slam tournament. Earlier, the injury also forced him to miss the inaugural United Cup in late December.

Shortly after his surgery, Kyrgios' manager Daniel Horsfall expressed intentions of an Indian Wells comeback for the 27-year-old. Kyrgios' physiotherapist, Will Maher, was also optimistic about Kyrgios playing at Indian Wells. However, a month after the surgery, Kyrgios still seems far from being able to compete on tour.

Kyrgios is currenty back up to No. 19 in the ATP rankings, but could see his ranking drop at the end of the Sunshine Double in Indian Wells and Miami. The Australian will drop a total of 270 points across both tournaments.

He reached the quarterfinals (180 points) at the Indian Wells Masters last year, eventually losing to Rafael Nadal, and bowed out in the Round of 16 (90 points) in Miami with a loss to Jannik Sinner.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist himself recently shared an optimistic outlook for his comeback.

"I’ll be back…… hold tight," Nick Kyrgios wrote on Instagram over the weekend.

"It’s always about me or Nadal or Djokovic, no one else" - Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic during a pre-Australian Open event.

Nick Kyrgios put himself in the same league as Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, speaking during his recent appearance on Logan Paul's podcast. Kyrgios suggested that apart from the two tennis legends with 44 Grand Slam titles between them, he is the only other player to have as much commercial value and appeal. Kyrgios said that tennis authorities often criticize him for his actions but still use his name to draw crowds.

“It’s always about me or, you know, Nadal or Djokovic or me. No one else," Kyrgios stated. "They are like, 'You can’t do this', but then they use my name to bring tickets, fans, and everything."

Kyrgios' last singles match on tour was at the Japan Open in Tokyo in early October, where he reached the quarterfinals. However, his last tournament was the doubles event of the ATP Finals, where he partnered with good friend and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis.