“My wrist will never be the same. But I can manage it. It all really depends on how much pain I want to deal with,” Nick Kyrgios admitted before stepping back onto the court after a two-and-a-half-year hiatus. The Aussie star, who underwent wrist surgery in late 2023 after tearing ligaments, has been battling pain since making his long-awaited return. Despite a tough start to 2025, he remains determined to make his mark at Indian Wells, often called the “fifth slam” on the calendar. But a recent training session suggests his wrist might have other plans. And according to an ATP legend, there is cause for worry.

The Australian tennis player kicked off his return in Brisbane, teaming up with Novak Djokovic for a much-hyped doubles match. The star duo, however, couldn’t make it past the opening round, falling to the top-seeded pair of Nikola Mektić and Michael Venus. His singles campaign hasn’t been much better. At the Australian Open, he suffered a disappointing first-round exit to the UK’s Jacob Fearnley, raising concerns about whether his wrist was holding up under match pressure.

Now, in California, Kyrgios is looking to reset. He used a protected ranking to enter the Indian Wells main draw, eager for a fresh start. But a troubling moment during a practice session with Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro has sparked fresh worries. A video circulating on X shows the 29-year-old tennis star grimacing in pain and clutching his wrist during practice, eventually stopping the session altogether.

The sight caught the attention of six-time Grand Slam champion Boris Becker, who kept his reaction short and ominous. He wrote, “Doesn’t look so good.”

Becker’s words have only added to the uncertainty surrounding Kyrgios’ condition. And they come just days after a fiery exchange between the two.

Nick Kyrgios and Boris Becker exchange heated words on social media

Nick Kyrgios is always outspoken. The Aussie tennis star has been particularly vocal about Jannik Sinner’s doping case. He refuses to accept the Italian tennis player’s innocence of accidental contamination. Even after Sinner accepted a three-month ban, Kyrgios has remained relentless in his criticism as he feels the ban is too convenient for the World No.1 as he does not miss any Grand Slams and is not being stripped of any of his titles. He wrote on X, “Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

This led to a viral post on X that poked fun at Kyrgios’ obsession with the case. The meme imagined an 84-year-old Kyrgios in 2084, still ranting about Sinner’s failed tests. The meme imagined an old Kyrgios saying, “Did I tell you about the time Jannik Sinner failed two doping tests? The whole system is rigged! Why won’t the establishment do anything? This is why I never won a big title.” 

Boris Becker came across this post and clearly entertained, responded with a simple “Lol.” But the 29-year-old didn’t find it funny. He fired back with, “What’s up criminal,” a sharp dig at Becker’s past legal troubles. The German legend had served eight months of a two-and-a-half-year sentence in 2022 for financial fraud and was previously convicted of tax evasion in 2002.

This feud between the two isn’t new. Previously, Kyrgios had made a comment calling comparisons between old tennis and modern tennis absurd as he believes modern tennis to be better. Becker took notice of this and advised the Wimbledon runner-up to be thankful to the past.

While their feud continues to simmer, Becker’s latest comment on the Aussie tennis player’s injury is no joke. Nick Kyrgios is scheduled to face Botic van de Zandschulp in his opening match at Indian Wells. The Dutchman has battled through the qualifying rounds and will be a tough opponent. But will Kyrgios’ wrist let him compete? Or will he be forced to withdraw before even stepping on the court?