Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of the Cincinnati Open once again, adding another withdrawal to his growing list of missed tournaments.
The Australian hasn’t been able to stay on court for very long lately. After having his best year ever in 2022, Kyrgios tried to come back in 2023 but only managed one match before missing the rest of that season.
He sat out all of 2024 too.
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This year started with some promise. The 30-year-old returned in Brisbane, where he won a doubles match playing alongside Novak Djokovic. But he lost his singles match to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
His comeback continued at the Australian Open, though he struggled with injury against Jacob Fearnley. Then came the Sunshine Double tournaments in the US.
That didn’t go well either. Kyrgios had to retire mid-match against Botic van de Zandschulp at Indian Wells.
First win in years, then silence
Things looked up in Miami. Kyrgios finally won his first match since 2022, beating Mackenzie McDonald. It felt like maybe he was really back.
But after losing to Karen Khachanov in the next round, Kyrgios disappeared from tennis courts again.
He’s signed up for several tournaments since then, but he keeps withdrawing. The Cincinnati Open was supposed to be his return – it’s the last big ATP Masters 1000 event before the US Open.
Kyrgios used his protected ranking to get into the tournament, which runs from August 7th to 18th. But apparently he doesn’t feel ready yet.
Cincinnati’s withdrawal problem
Kyrgios isn’t the only big name bailing on Cincinnati. Novak Djokovic withdrew on Monday too.
The list keeps growing: Jack Draper, Grigor Dimitrov, Alexander Bublik, Sebastian Korda, Hubert Hurkacz, Matteo Berrettini, Quentin Halys, Laslo Djere, and Jenson Brooksby are all out.
That’s a lot of missing star power for one tournament.
The bigger picture for Kyrgios
Here’s the thing – Kyrgios has only played six matches in the past three years. That’s pretty shocking for someone who was once considered one of the most talented players on tour.
He’s been honest about his situation before. Kyrgios has said it’s basically a miracle he can even play tennis again, given how bad his injury prognosis was.
These constant withdrawals show just how tough it is for him to get match-ready.
Kyrgios is still on the entry list for the 2025 US Open, but that tournament starts August 24th. With Cincinnati off the table, he’s running out of time to get some matches under his belt.
Is retirement coming soon?
There’s real talk that Kyrgios might call it quits at next year’s Australian Open. It would make sense – he loves playing at home, and that’s where he won his only Grand Slam title (in doubles).
The emotional connection is definitely there.
On the other hand, Kyrgios is only 30. Look at Stan Wawrinka, who’s still competing well into his late 30s. Kyrgios could theoretically play for another decade if his body cooperated.
But he’s always said that wasn’t his plan. Kyrgios has never been the type to stick around just for the sake of it.
Right now, it seems like his body is making the decision for him. Every withdrawal makes it harder to imagine a real comeback to top-level tennis.
The question isn’t really whether Kyrgios will retire soon – it’s whether he’ll get enough healthy time on court to go out on his own terms.
