Nick Kyrgios says his injury-forced layoff has been "equally as enjoyable" as the most successful year of his career as he prepares to be completely absent from the Australian summer for the first time in more than a decade.
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Kyrgios has continued his media blitz in the United States this week, sitting down for a podcast with former NBA stars, taking part in another with Jay Shetty and his 2 million subscribers and detailing his struggles on and off the court to The Athletic.
The 28 year old has been making waves in the tennis world despite playing just one match this year as he battled knee and wrist injuries.
That hasn't stopped him from making headlines in what is traditionally the quietest period of the tennis year, signing a deal with adults-only platform OnlyFans and turning heads along outspoken talk show host Piers Morgan.
But his pulling power and marketability will be missing from the Australian summer after he announced his withdrawal from the Australian Open last week. It will be the first time in 13 years Kyrgios hasn't featured at the tournament.
![Nick Kyrgios speaking to Jay Shetty's 2.1 million subscribers. Picture supplied Nick Kyrgios speaking to Jay Shetty's 2.1 million subscribers. Picture supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/j2iwCiKfwhVWJky39Vsdpt/0de9bd25-efa9-4c62-8ab1-4fd4c939edd0.png/r49_0_2139_1175_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Unfazed by the fact he has barely played in the past 18 months, Kyrgios admitted it was "scary" that he didn't miss the sport that has made him a superstar.
"This is a tough one for me because when I step away from the sport for so long, I actually don't miss it. So that's scary for me," Kyrgios told Shetty.
"You know, most athletes, when they get pulled away from their sport [by] injury or take time off, they're like really hungry to get back.
"With me, I've always kind of known that life has so many ... so many cool things about it and tennis, you know, we're travelling seven, eight months a year. I barely see my family, my friends.
"[Tennis] is all I've ever known since I was seven years old. My family loves it, all my friends know me as Nick Kyrgios, tennis player. So I do miss it a little bit, but at the same time, I've really enjoyed the time off."
Kyrgios was in career-best form before struggling with a knee injury in the lead up to the Australian Open this year.
It derailed what many hoped would be the Kyrgios' best chance to win a grand slam singles title after claiming the Australian Open doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2022 and becoming the first Australian man in 19 years to make a Wimbledon final in the same year.
He has had knee and wrist surgery this year, but it remains unclear when he will be fit enough to return to the court.
"I played a full year last year [2022], no injuries; had great results, had a great year," Kyrgios told The Athletic.
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"I barely played this year, two surgeries, and now still, I would probably say they're both [years] equally as fine, which is crazy.
"Most tennis players would be like, 'This was just depressing'. People would be struggling ... This year, it's been equally as enjoyable as last year. That's just my personality and how different it is. That's the crazy thing."