Still Injured, Nick Kyrgios Doesn't Participate In The 2024 Australian Open

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios did not participate in the 2024 Australian Open because he was still struggling with injury. (ATP Tour)

JAKARTA - Nick Kyrgios on Saturday declared his resignation from the Australian Open as he was still struggling to restore his fitness following a long injury.

The Australian had knee surgery in January and then canceled his plans to return to Wimbledon after his wrist ligament was torn.

He said last month that it needed a miracle to get him ready for his home Grand Slam in January, and the player who once ranked 13th in the world confirmed on Saturday that he was running out of time for his mission to play in Australia.

"So this is a very disappointing time for me, but I won't be able to compete at the 2024 Australian Open," Kyrgios said on the OnlyFans website, where he joined content creators last week, as reported by AFP, Saturday.

"Of course, this destroys the heart. I have so many great memories there, and I really want to go back to playing at the top of my game and do it right, and I need a little more time.

"While I won't be competing this year in AO, I'll still be around, commenting on the game, around," he added.

Last month, Kyrgios said that winning the Grand Slam remained his push, having almost achieved it at Wimbledon in 2022 when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the final.

The Australian Open took place from January 14-28 at Melbourne Park, with Aryna Sabalenka trying to defend the women's singles title and Djokovic in the men's singles.

When Kyrgios will not attend, 22 Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal -- who has not played since the Australian Open this year due to injury -- is listed on the list of participants.

There was also four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, who gave birth to a daughter named Shai in July. She hasn't played since September 2022, and is also having a hard time with her mental health.