Emotional Kyrgios Forced to Retire Due to Wrist Injury at Indian Wells, Raising Doubts About Future Comeback

In a dramatic turn of events at the Indian Wells tournament, Nick Kyrgios was forced to retire from his first-round match due to a wrist injury, marking another setback in his return to professional tennis. The Australian, who had not played since the Australian Open in January, was trailing Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (9-7) 3-0 when he decided to end the match early.

Kyrgios, visibly emotional, discussed his right wrist with the trainer during the match. This injury comes after he underwent surgery in September 2023. Over the past 18 months, Kyrgios has battled multiple injuries, including knee and foot issues, complicating his comeback efforts.

"No-one in the sport has had a wrist reconstruction and tried to play after that," Kyrgios remarked. "There's been players that have had wrist surgeries and nowhere near as bad as what I had. It's all an experiment at this point. I was told I was arguably maybe not ever playing tennis again. I feel I'm like right there, I feel like I can compete."

Earlier in the week, Kyrgios had to cut short a practice session due to wrist pain. Despite making a strong effort to come back from a 4-1 deficit in the first set against Van de Zandschulp, Kyrgios began to struggle physically. He had a set point in the tie-break but couldn't maintain his momentum.

Looking ahead, Kyrgios is scheduled to play in the Miami Open, starting on March 18. However, his participation remains uncertain as he evaluates his wrist's response to treatment. "We go back to the drawing board as a team and we try and figure out a way to get through these matches," Kyrgios added. "I would have loved to be able to finish that match, even if I lose, just as a building block. But now if I'm not finishing matches that becomes a concern."

The tennis world now watches anxiously as Kyrgios navigates this challenging phase, hoping he can overcome these physical hurdles and return to the competitive form that saw him reach the Wimbledon final in 2022.