Kyrgios retires with injury at Indian Wells, unsure what’s next
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Nick Kyrgios expressed his frustration to reporters Thursday night and said he was unclear about what was next after he retired from his first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open against Botic Van De Zandschulp.
Kyrgios trailed 7-6 (7), 3-0 when he was forced to retire due to a wrist injury that has sidelined him for much of the past two seasons.
“It’s all an experiment at this point,” Kyrgios said. “I was told I was arguably maybe not ever playing tennis again. [But] I feel I’m like right there. I feel like I can compete.
“[Van De Zandschulp] beat [Carlos] Alcaraz at [the 2024] US Open in straight sets, and I’ve got set points against him in the first set. I’m there, but if I’m not able to finish matches it doesn’t really matter at this point. I’m not too sure right now. I don’t even … I’m not sure how it’s going to pull up tomorrow. It feels relatively pretty sore at the moment. We’ll see how it goes.”
Kyrgios, a 29-year-old native of Australia, played just one match in 2023 and was absent from the tour for all of the 2024 season because of injuries and surgeries to his right wrist and knee. He made his return to competition in Brisbane in January and has yet to win a singles match in three tournaments played, including the Australian Open.
Playing at Indian Wells on a protected ranking, Kyrgios aggravated his wrist at practice Tuesday, saying he felt a sharp pain nearing the end of his session while hitting a forehand, and his status for his match had been unclear leading in. But he insisted he wanted to play and expressed how much he loved the tournament.
Kyrgios immediately fell into a 4-1 hole in the opening set, but — much to the delight of the crowd at Stadium 1 — fought his way to force a tiebreak and showed moments of his signature showmanship and brilliance. But, he said, the pain continued to progress until it simply was too much. He looked near tears as he sat in his chair during a medical timeout before making the decision to retire.
The enigmatic Kyrgios has long been considered one of the most talented players on tour, but despite a career-high ranking of No. 13, seven ATP titles and a 2022 Wimbledon final appearance, he has never quite lived up to the expectations. He said despite the “love/hate relationship” he has had with the sport for much of his career, the surgeries and the setbacks have made him realize how much he wants to play.
“I want to go out there and I want to compete,” Kyrgios said. “When I had the surgery 18 months ago, if I really didn’t want to play, I didn’t have to rehab, I didn’t have to try and get back on the court. I want to play. I knew I was going to be in discomfort tonight after two days ago, but I took the court.”
Kyrgios said it angered him that he wasn’t able to finish the match and said how much he enjoyed play Thursday.
Kyrgios said he had previously planned on next playing Miami, which gets underway on March 19, but he was unsure if he will be able to.
“Obviously the time frame of Miami is not ideal, but, you know, I was scheduled to play that, so I will see how my wrist responds,” he said. “And if not Miami, I will keep looking forward. I can’t keep looking back and being disappointed. Otherwise I don’t know how much enjoyment I will have in that.”
The 2025 tennis season is only two months old, but there has already been a full year’s worth of surprises. From the controversial suspension of world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, to Madison Keys winning her first major title at the Australian Open, to a stomach virus that took out much of the field at Acapulco last week and the wild-card debacle surrounding Venus Williams, there has been no shortage of headlines.
Now the respective tours head to the California desert for the 1000-level (the highest after majors and the year-end finals) BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, starting off the Sunshine Double portion of the calendar with the Miami Open up next. While we can’t get to every storyline worth watching — apologies to anyone looking for thoughts on who might have a heel turn like Danielle Collins did in Melbourne — these are the biggest questions entering the 2025 BNP Paribas Open before the main draw gets underway Wednesday.
Before we dig in here, it’s worth noting Sinner’s unbelievable stretch since the start of 2024. During the past 14 months, the Italian has won three major titles (2024 and 2025 Australian Open and 2024 US Open), three 1000-level events and the 2024 ATP Finals. He is currently serving a three-month doping suspension and is out of action until May. And yet still, he has nearly a 3,000 point lead in the rankings over everyone else. He reached the semifinals at Indian Wells in 2024, took the title in Miami and would have easily been the favorite to win both.
Sinner’s absence this year leaves a massive opportunity for several others — and the most obvious is Carlos Alcaraz. The current world No. 3 is the two-time defending champion and seems to thrive in the California sun. He’s had an inconsistent season so far, losing in the quarterfinals at the Australian Open and in Qatar but winning the Rotterdam title. Being at a familiar site like Indian Wells could be exactly what he needs to get back on track and take over the tour.
World No. 2 Alexander Zverev could also be a contender. He lost to Sinner in the Australian Open final and has since gone 4-3 — but has won three 1000-level hard-court titles in his career, including most recently at the Paris Masters in November. He’s a two-time Indian Wells quarterfinalist, including last year, and is capable of going even further. Daniil Medvedev, currently ranked sixth, has had a challenging season and has never loved the conditions at Indian Wells (both on the court and with the air conditioning inside) but he reached the final in 2023 and should always be considered a threat at hard-court events.
Not to mention, 2022 champion and Southern California native Taylor Fritz played the best tennis of his career in the final months of 2024 and will be motivated to do well in front of a home crowd and at a place where he’s won before. He reached the final at the US Open and the ATP Finals and lost to Sinner in both events, but he’s proven he can beat almost everyone else. He had a disappointing third round finish at the Australian Open and had to withdraw from Acapulco with an abdominal injury, but if he’s healthy, he’s certainly one to watch.
And, of course, don’t forget about that guy named Novak Djokovic. He’s still pretty good. (More on him below)
After several years of unpredictability, it looked as if a group of elite players had emerged atop the women’s game, most notably Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff. At the start of 2025, that trio — who are currently the top 3-ranked players in the world — seemed to be the favorites for every tournament. The season opened with Sabalenka nabbing the trophy at the Brisbane Open and Gauff leading the United States team over Swiatek’s Poland in the United Cup final.
But then the Australian Open happened and Madison Keys, who turned 30 last month, showed everyone how remarkable the depth of talent is on the WTA Tour. She had a staggering fortnight, beating Swiatek in the semifinals and two-time defending champion Sabalenka in the final, and living up to the potential many had seen in her well over a decade ago. And more than that, it seemed to remind other players of their own capabilities as well.
Since Keys’ surprising victory in Melbourne, there has been a different champion every week, including during the two 1000-level events, in which Amanda Anisimova (Doha) and 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva (Dubai) won the biggest titles of their young careers. Other winners include Belinda Bencic, who recently returned from maternity leave, and Ekaterina Alexandrova, as well as Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro, who both collected new hardware on Sunday with statement-making routs in the Austin and Merida finals, respectively.
It’s not just that the current “Big-ish Three” haven’t won tournaments, they were hardly even a factor during the Middle East swing. Sabalenka won one match in both 1000-level events, and Gauff was upset in her opening matches at both. Swiatek fared better, and reached the semis in Doha and the quarters in Dubai. And if anyone knows how to win at Indian Wells, it’s her. She’s the defending champion and also won the title in 2022. And all three will certainly be eager to turn things around and get back to their winning ways at Indian Wells.
But of course, Keys, who hasn’t played since Australia, is capable of winning and is more confident than ever. Others, like Anisimova, Andreeva, Pegula, Navarro and even Bencic or 2023 champion Elena Rybakina, could do it as well. So, yes, it’s going to be very interesting and should give a true vibe check to the state of the season.
This might be the biggest question of all entering the tournament. The 24-time major champion had to retire from his semifinal match against Zverev at the Australian Open after the first set due to a hamstring injury, and has played one event since. Prior to the Qatar Open, Djokovic said he was “almost 100%” but after losing in the first round in straight sets to Matteo Berrettini, he was seen limping into the airport, sparking speculation about his injury. As of now, he remains in the Indian Wells draw and will be joined by his coach Andy Murray. Djokovic received a first-round bye, then will play against either a qualifier or Nick Kyrgios.
But, and this is worth mentioning, we are talking about Novak Djokovic here and there’s a reason he’s won 24 Slam titles and 40 Masters 1000-level trophies, including five at Indian Wells. While he hasn’t had the results over the past 14 months that he’s become accustomed to — winning Olympic gold marked his lone title last season — he still is one of the best in the sport and should always be considered a legitimate contender. And not that he needs any more motivation, but another title would make him just the third man in the Open Era to win 100 tour-level singles trophies.
Yes, absolutely. The operative word here is “could,” but it’s possible, and maybe even realistic.
On the women’s side, there are several who could do it. For the first time since 2003, there are three American women ranked inside the top five — Gauff, Pegula and Keys — and all three will have the support of the crowd and have won 1000-level tournaments, or higher, before. Navarro (No. 8), reigning Miami Open champion Danielle Collins (No. 14), and Anisimova (No. 18) are all also in the top 20 and can beat almost anyone on their best days.
But despite success virtually everywhere else, no American woman has won at Indian Wells since Serena Williams in 2001. Will this be the year those fortunes get reversed?
As for the men, Fritz, the world No. 4, certainly leads the charge but several others also deserve mention here. Tommy Paul (No. 11), Ben Shelton (No. 12), and Frances Tiafoe (No. 17) thrive in front of the home crowds and have all been to major semifinals before so know what it takes to win on a big stage. Reilly Opelka, the former world No. 17 and current No. 114, continues his return from a lengthy injury absence and could also surprise. He reached the final at Brisbane to open the year and recorded a win over Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
Just eleven players — seven men and four women — have achieved the feat. The list is truly a who’s who of tennis history and Djokovic, Roger Federer and Steffi Graf are the only ones who have done it multiple times.
Swiatek accomplished it most recently, in 2022 during her record-setting 37-match win streak. But while she made it look easy at the time, it is anything but. With just days between the final in Indian Wells and the start of Miami, playing in both requires traveling 2,600 miles and adapting between two different climates. Staying healthy and focused is a challenge for even the best players.
Alcaraz came close in 2023 by reaching the Miami semifinals, but simply ran out of gas in the third set against Sinner. He’s a far more experienced player now, and may be better prepared if in that situation today.
Could Alcaraz or Swiatek do it in 2025? Frankly, no one has quite shown the consistency this season that would be needed to pull it off. But one tournament can change everything.
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Tearful Kyrgios retires injured in Indian Wells
Nick Kyrgios became tearful when speaking to the trainer during his Indian Wells match
A tearful Nick Kyrgios was forced to retire from his first-round Indian Wells match with a wrist injury as his tennis return suffered another setback.
The Australian, playing his first match since January’s Australian Open, trailed Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6 (9-7) 3-0 before ending the match early.
Kyrgios became visibly upset when speaking to the trainer about his right wrist, which he had surgery on in September 2023.
The 29-year-old also struggled with knee and foot injuries over an 18-month period before making his return at the start of the year.
“No-one in the sport has had a wrist reconstruction and tried to play after that,” Kyrgios said.
“There’s been players that have had wrist surgeries and nowhere near as bad as what I had.
“It’s all an experiment at this point. I was told I was arguably maybe not ever playing tennis again.
“I feel I’m like right there, I feel like I can compete.”
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Kyrgios, runner-up at Wimbledon in 2022, had cut short a practice session earlier in the week after feeling pain in his wrist.
He came back from 4-1 down in the first set against Dutchman Van de Zandschulp and had a set point in the tie-break before he began to physically struggle.
Kyrgios is scheduled to play the Miami Open, which begins on 18 March, but said he would see how his wrist responds before making a decision.
“We go back to the drawing board as a team and we try and figure out a way to get through these matches,” Kyrgios added.
“I would have loved to be able to finish that match, even if I lose, just as a building block.
“But now if I’m not finishing matches that becomes a concern.”
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Nick Kyrgios: Wrist injury has been “one of the biggest challenges” of my career
The Aussie was visibly emotional as he was forced to retire from his first-round match against Botic van de Zandschulp in Indian Wells.
Published Mar 07, 2025
© 2025 Frey/TPN
When Nick Kyrgios was forced to retire from his first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open due to a wrist injury, many tennis fans were disappointed but few seemed surprised. The 29-year-old’s participation in the tournament was already in jeopardy after he appeared to re-injure his surgically repaired wrist at a practice session two days ago.
Kyrgios still took the court on Thursday and warmed up as usual, and then played Botic van de Zandschulp in a close first set that went down to the wire. But as the Dutch player clinched the set 7-6 (7) and began to pull away in the second, it was clear the Aussie was in trouble.
>>> Read More: Nick Kyrgios injures wrist in practice, leaving Indian Wells return in question
Clearly emotional as tournament medical staff came out to evaluate his troublesome wrist, Kyrgios eventually called time on his first match back in Indian Wells since 2022.
Now, after weeks of training and rehab Kyrgios says it’s “back to the drawing board” for him and his team.
Q. Sorry to see that. You were really emotional on the court. Sort of curious is what’s going through your mind at that point…?
NICK KYRGIOS: It’s just more so I guess the amount of work I’ve put in to get back, and just to know… There are glimpses of some really good tennis that I can still play.
I guess this process has been probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my life. Reality, it’s not too bad, but for my tennis career, it’s by far the biggest.
Yeah, just the amount of work that goes in when I go back home or when I’m not playing, it’s not fun. I know that I can’t really be doing any more to try and get back and play…
That’s I guess why I got a bit emotional towards the end because it’s one of my favorite tournaments… I love it here. I’ve had so many good memories here. It’s one of the best tournaments we have.
After Australian Open, all I did was rehab, train, and then try and get ready for this tournament. I was two days out of the tournament here and I was having a great training session, and literally the second-to-last point in my training session I hit a forehand, I felt a sharp pain, and I had to stop playing.
I mean, it’s not ideal, but I guess, I don’t know… We go back to the drawing board as a team, and we just try and figure out and navigate a way to just get through these matches.
The Aussie’s grueling journey with health woes dates back to 2023, when he underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery that January for a lateral meniscus tear. He was supposed to be back by the French Open, but later suffered a foot injury during an armed robbery to his home that sidelined him again. Then, as Kygrios prepared for Wimbledon, the 2022 finalist suffered a torn ligament on his wrist that had him out for the rest of the season.
The injury ultimately required what Kyrgios called a “full wrist reconstruction” surgery, and he took all of the 2024 season to rest and recover.
>>> Read More: Nick Kyrgios withdraws from Wimbledon with wrist injury
“It would be nice if someone had this injury prior if I could just go there and ask them, ‘Okay, these are setbacks you were having?’ Like, it’s all an experiment at this point,” Kyrgios said of the uniquely challenging nature of the injury.
“I was told I was arguably maybe not ever playing tennis again. I feel I’m like right there, I feel like I can compete.”
Kyrgios is now 0-3 on the season, after also bowing out in the opening round on home soil in Brisbane and the Australian Open. Kyrgios is next scheduled to compete at the Miami Open, which starts on March 19. He called the quick turnaround “not ideal” as he opts to wait and “see how my wrist responds.”
Van de Zandschulp will face Novak Djokovic in the second round on Saturday.
