Nick Kyrgios' Wimbledon participation in doubt after Halle withdrawal due to knee injury

Uncertainty is mounting over Nick Kyrgios’ Wimbledon 2023 participation after the latest news of his withdrawal from the ongoing ATP 500 event in Halle.

On Monday, June 19, Nick Kyrgios pulled out of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle, a day before his opening match against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego. The Aussie’s spot in the draw has now been given to lucky loser and former Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev.

Kyrgios has been on the sidelines for the most part of 2023 due to a knee surgery he underwent in the month of January this year. The 28-year-old inaugurated his season at the Boss Open in Stuttgart last week after five months of rehab journey.

Despite his best effort to get in form ahead of Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios was able to get just one match under his belt as he suffered a straight-sets loss to China’s Yibing Wu in the first round. The player looked out of sorts throughout the clash, and was unable to perform at his highest level due to restricted movement.

As per ATP tour, Kyrgios has now cited the resurfaced knee injury as the reason for his latest withdrawal from Halle. The Aussie was the defending semifinalist at the event.

Kyrgios’ no show at the ATP 500 event has raised concerns over his Wimbledon 2023 participation. While the Aussie has no points to defend at SW19 due to the tournament’s ranking points fiasco from last year, the 28-year-old is the defending runner-up nonetheless.

The former World No. 13 has also been touted as the frontrunner at the upcoming grasscourt Slam, and many, including him and Carlos Alcaraz, have deemed him as Novak Djokovic’s biggest threat going into SW19.

It remains to be seen if the Wimbledon runner-up manages to recover in time to challenge the World No. 1 as the Serb bids for a record eighth trophy and a fifth one on the trot at the grasscourt Major.

---

"Be patient; I need more time" – Nick Kyrgios after his loss in Stuttgart

Kyrgios in action at an earlier event

The news of Nick Kyrgios’ withdrawal from the ATP 500 event in Halle comes just days after he urged his fans to be patient with him.

Ever since his knee surgery, Kyrgios has been frequently sharing recovery updates with tennis fans on social media. The Aussie, who was initially planning to make his comeback at Indian Wells in March, delayed his return in an effort to improve his fitness before the grasscourt season.

The Wimbledon finalist’s Boss Open participation was thus highly anticipated, and his subpar performance in the opening match was considered unexpected. Kyrgios, however, requested his fans to be patient with him and suggested that making a successful comeback on tour is no walk in the park.

"Be patient with me my fans please…. It’s a process to get back to where I was. I know it’s hard for you to see me perform like today," he wrote on social media.

The athlete said that he needs more time to get back to his best level.

"I need more time and hopefully can get back to where I was," Kyrgios added.