Tiley backs Kyrgios in ruling himself out of playing Australian Open singles

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley has backed Nick Kyrgios’ decision not to play singles at this year’s event, revealing he had not given the Wimbledon finalist any guarantee of a wildcard.

Kyrgios, who turns 31 in April, announced on Friday that he instead wanted a singles wildcard to go to a player more prepared for the rigours of grand slam tennis. However, he plans to contest doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis, who he combined with to win the 2022 Australian Open title.

The former world No.13 and his team held discussions with Tiley after Kyrgios and Kokkinakis lost their second-round doubles match at the Brisbane International on Wednesday night.

Kyrgios had played only six singles matches in the past three years because of wrist and knee surgeries, before losing in straight sets to American Aleks Kovacevic in Brisbane on Tuesday.

“After some good conversations with TA [Tennis Australia], I’ve made the call to focus on doubles for this year’s AO,” Kyrgios posted. “I’m fit and back on court, but five-setters are a different beast, and I’m not quite ready to go the distance yet.

“This tournament means everything to me, but I’d rather give my spot to someone who’s ready to make their moment count.

“It’s all building blocks, and I’ll be back next year and pumped to compete. See you out there.”

Tiley said discussions with Team Kyrgios always centred on the Canberran needing to be comfortable his body would hold up in grand slam conditions.

“We never made a decision on whether or not he gets a wildcard until he was comfortable in competing,” Tiley told this masthead.

“I think what’s really important is that it was open dialogue with Nick – and his team as well. We trusted his assessment that he would need to make on his ability to play singles.

“He hasn’t played a lot of singles matches. You’ve got to be ready to play and compete in a full five sets because that’s what it could be, so we left it up to him to make that assessment. And so, in a very good and adult way, he made that assessment.

“In my view, it was totally the right decision by him because when you walk on the court, and I know when he does, he wants to give himself the best opportunity to win the match. If not, there’s no value to walk on.”

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will require a wildcard to contest the Australian Open doubles draw, but Tiley confirmed he would grant them that request.

“I know he wants to play doubles here, which we’re working on... and I want to give him an opportunity to play doubles here,” Tiley said. “Nick’s made the right decision, and we expected it because there were no guarantees either way.”

Kyrgios gave a raw insight after his 6-3, 6-4 loss to Kovacevic into how injuries had impacted him since his career-best 2022 season, when he reached the Wimbledon final and US Open quarter-finals.

“I genuinely thought I was the best player in the world,” Kyrgios said. “After you have those surgeries, I guess they pull you down, and you don’t have that belief any more. It’s sad in a way.

“That’s just the reality. People out there think you go under the knife, come back and you’re the same player.

“It’s not how it is. That’s just sport; you can’t get too upset and that’s why you’ve got to be grateful for moments like that doubles match the other night.”