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Tennis insider Gill Gross criticized Nick Kyrgios for making a mid-match exit at Indian Wells, saying he rushed his comeback despite not fully recovering from a wrist injury. The Australian played in just his third tournament of the year at the ATP 1000 Masters event.
On Friday, March 7, 2025, Kyrgios faced Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open. After a hard-fought first set, he was forced to retire mid-match due to a wrist injury.
Injuries have been a constant hurdle in Kyrgios’s career, keeping him off the court for 18 months before he finally returned in January at the Brisbane International. He then competed at the Australian Open, but the 29-year-old Aussie faced the same disappointment in both tournaments, exiting in the first round.
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On the March 10 episode of the Monday Match Analysis podcast, Gill Gross shared his thoughts on the match between the Australian and the Dutch player. He criticized Kyrgios' decision to come back without proper healing:
“I'm confused at the moment. Because when you've had an injury for two years, it's really been like a year and a half, very long process to come back. And then you come back in January and it's just, it's not really healed yet.”
He added:
“Like you could tell the wrist isn't there yet. And you've tested it and you've gotten that feedback and then you're coming back and you're playing Indian Wells. And again, the wrist, it's not healed yet.”
Gross also commented on Kyrgios’s unrealistic expectation of competing in high-level matches while not being at his best.
“It strikes me as a player who is injured, who has not healed, who is now taking the court to play matches and then is from the very start of these matches uncompetitive or at least severely compromised. So, what I don't understand is when he comes out onto court, what exactly is he expecting? I don't understand because it feels like he's lost these matches before they even begin.”
"I feel bad for Nick Kyrgios" - Gill Gross
Tennis insider Gill Gross also shared his thoughts on Nick Kyrgios's persistent struggles with injuries and his unexpected losses. He commented on the tough situation, acknowledging Kyrgios' ongoing challenges on the court.
“The crazy thing is I thought it was 50-50 that he would finish the match. And I feel bad for him. I do.”
Gross commented on the Aussie's constant struggles with injuries, saying:
“I don't know how, how could you watch somebody struggle this much with an injury and work so hard to come back and it not really happened for them. How could you see that and not feel bad, right? At the same time, I don't know what he thinks is going to happen.”
He added:
“The wrist thing is bleak right now. I think he would tell you that because it's been a long time for that to get better and it doesn't seem to be getting good enough, at least, to compete at the very highest level.”
