Just not the return he hoped for! The Aussie ace Nick Kyrgios suffered a straight-sets loss to Jacob Fearnley in the opening round, causing him to crash out of this year’s Happy Slam a couple of weeks ago. However, was it on the cards? Of course not! But, tennis might be cruel sometimes, right? Despite his loss in the first week of home Grand Slam, he just came up with a cheeky reply on a social media post, which hit directly at the current AO winner.

The 2022 Wimbledon winner returned to the center court after three years of his first appearance. Why? Well, he suffered a knee problem, along with wrist surgery, which sidelined him for the last two seasons. However, despite a much-anticipated start, the Aussie came short of the hopes. He lost to 92 seed Fearnley in three straight sets in the opening round, followed by a walkover in the Men’s doubles match in the first round where he partnered with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis. Coming from a RO16 doubles loss at the Brisbane International where he partnered with Novak Djokovic, his loss in the AO signifies rumors of Nick’s retirement as well. And, just after the AO final, the Aussie showed his social media game again, but this time, he issued a heated ‘through back’ reply to a Jannik Sinner controversy.

On 28th January, just after two days of AO open ends, one of the X handles ‘Swish Tennis’ posted an image of the Open Occitanie tournament, a part of the ATP 250 series, highlighting Italian Flavio Cobolli winning with BYE, which specifically means an auto advancement of a player to the next round without facing a challenger. However, the post captured the eyes of tennis fanatics by its caption, quoting “BYE has won more matches than Nick Kyrgios in 2025,”. However, Nick, who has set his social media standard high, replied “BYE has failed less drug tests than sinner,”, directly indicating the recently crowned AO champion’s doping saga. Contrarily, this was not the first time the Aussie took a shot at Sinner regarding his doping controversy through social media.

After the ITIA panel ruled out Sinner’s doping allegation on August 15, which he committed in March, with ‘no fault of negligence’, the Australian never became shy in showing his emotions regarding the offenses. Nick expressed his grievance through multiple social media posts. One dated back to last year when Nick quoted, “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned substance (steroid)…you should be gone for two years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…yeah nice,”. He even added one comment in an October 2024 Instagram Q&A session where a fan asked about a possible AO match between Sinner and Nick. “I only play with CLEAN players” he added. 

Precisely, Nick’s first-round defeats in both singles and doubles were not the outcomes that the Australian player desired. However, following the exit, Nick faced another shocker, which might be a reason for his withdrawal from the Davis Cup. 

Injuries force Nick Kyrgios to withdraw from the Davis Cup, again

Not the start of the year that Nick wanted! The Australian was slated to participate in the 2019 Davis Cup, competing against a Belgian team. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist, who never really showed interest in playing in the ‘World Cup of Tennis’, emerged in the four-man squad on January 5. However, an injury in his first-round match in the AO might be the reason for his absence in the Davis Cup now!

On January 7th, the Aussie was set to play with Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match, followed by the AO. However, the Aussie, who played his first singles match at the Brisbane International after 18 months against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, reported an ultrasound and a grade one strain. Even after the match, the Aussie seemed in ‘throbbing’ pain and added comments about his desire to participate in AO while speaking with 7 News.

“I’ve still got five days up my sleeve. I’m probably not going to serve for the next couple of days, I’ve got a couple of practices scheduled and I’ll do everything I can. It’s not too serious. I’ll just take it day by day and give myself the best chance,” he added. However, following his first-round AO loss against Jacob Fearnley and a walkover while playing doubles showcased his injury. Aleksandar Vukic, who had a five-setter epic with Jack Draper in the AO third round, found his place in the Davis Cup with Team Australia.

With his absence in the much anticipated Davis Cup through injury, when do you feel the Aussie will set the heat at the center court again? Share your predictions below!