'I’m at a crossroads': Is Nick Kyrgios' career really coming to an end?

Nick Kyrgios is surely one of the most unpredictable personalities in the history of sport, and especially so when it comes to tennis. While his career may have been filled with promise and potential from the get-go, things have panned out differently over the years.

Very strong from a young age, Kyrgios arrived on the circuit as one of the greatest emerging talents in the history of the game. Powerful, technical, and equipped with an incredible vision, the Australian has ultimately fallen short of his lofty expectations.

Indeed, Kyrgios made his mark at the age of 19, when he eliminated Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, then world number 1, before reaching the quarter-finals in the London Grand Slam.

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But despite this exceptional raw talent, what came next from Kyrgios would only disappoint fans of the game.

With behavior considered unsuitable for the world of tennis, the Australian has very often shown himself to be capricious, arrogant, and sometimes even disturbed, which has often been detrimental to his success in stringing together victories.

His absences, sometimes prolonged by his lack of desire, never really allowed Kyrgios' fans to see him perform on a regular basis. He even often showed his disenchantment with tennis, suggesting that his career would only be short-lived, as covered by the likes of ESPN, among others.

However, when Kyrgios decided to change his attitude to focus 100% on his career in 2022, observers thought they finally saw the Australian's potential. The hope of seeing his career take a new turn then appeared.

Kyrgios' 2022 season was indeed one of the best of his entire career. That year, the Australian won his seventh title at the Washington Open, a tournament he had previously won in 2019. He also won his first Grand Slam doubles tournament at the Australian Open.

But above all, Kyrgios reached his very first Grand Slam singles final, at Wimbledon and against Novak Djokovic. Despite all his talent, however, he did not bring his A-game and barely troubled the Serb in the end.

A few weeks later, Kyrgios had his best run at the US Open, making it all the way to the semifinals. He would eventually be eliminated by Russian Karen Khachanov.

However, despite a good season, a knee cyst would see him bow out prematurely. Asked about his future, which seemed brighter than expected, the Australian wanted to calm the enthusiasm, affirming that his career would soon end.

“Honestly, I probably won’t [play after 30]. I want to be able to not be disturbed. I'll probably go home to the Bahamas and sit and do nothing,” he said on an Instagram live.

Before the 2023 season, Kyrgios also announced that he wanted to win a Grand Slam tournament, then retire and “never come back”, as reported by The Daily Mail. A new declaration that proves his desire not to linger on the circuit.

So should we enjoy Kyrgios' last moments in the world of tennis or simply regret that it won't last longer? Probably a bit of both. But it looks like the writing could be on the wall either way following his 2023 season.

Still bothered by his knee, he had to undergo surgery with the plan to return to the grass season. The Australian played only one short match before returning to convalescence, this time due to ligaments in his wrist.

It was a new injury that prevented him from playing at Wimbledon, as well as on the entire American tour. A much longer absence than expected which does not bode well for Kyrgios fans.

The most optimistic pundits believe that the 28-year-old player will make up for this lost time by pushing back his retirement date, while there is plenty of speculation that it will ultimately arrive much earlier than expected.

Prior to his Wimbledon withdrawal, Kyrgios said there was "no chance" he would play at the age of 33, like Novak Djokovic, the Daily Mail reported. Knowing the Australian's temperament, this prolonged absence could spell the beginning of the end for him.

In late January 2024, Kyrgios told Nine newspapers in Australia that he suspects his time might have come: “The reality is, there is a part of me that knows my time in the sport may be over. And I’m OK with that,” he wrote in a column.

“I’m at a crossroads in my career and have reached a point where life after tennis is a prospect that excites me. I know I can be one of the best in the world and win major tournaments – if my body lets me. The fire still burns, but it’s not my everything.”

But as many know, Kyrgios is an unpredictable person who always likes to surprise his fans. Even if his self-imposed deadline approaches and injuries multiply, Kyrgios could just as well decide to try everything to finally carve out his place in the history books. We're certainly hoping for the latter.

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