Nick Kyrgios’ injury concerns worsen as he withdraws from another tournament following early Australian Open exit
Nick Kyrgios Withdraws from UTS Guadalajara as Injury Struggles Continue
Nick Kyrgios’ long-awaited return to competitive tennis has hit another setback, as the Australian star has been forced to withdraw from the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) event in Guadalajara due to injury.
The 28-year-old was scheduled to compete in the exhibition tournament this week but has been replaced by Italian veteran Fabio Fognini.
“Fabio Fognini is back at UTS,” organizers confirmed on social media. “The Italian, who was part of UTS4 in 2021, will play our Guadalajara event this week. He replaces Nick Kyrgios, who did everything he could to overcome his injury from the Australian Open but just couldn’t make it.”
Kyrgios’ Battle with Injuries
Kyrgios has struggled with persistent injury problems in recent years, undergoing experimental wrist surgery that nearly ended his career.
Despite making his return at the Brisbane International and later competing at the Australian Open, he suffered another setback, battling an abdominal issue in a first-round loss to Jacob Fearnley.
Although he was expected to return at Indian Wells next month, his latest withdrawal raises concerns about whether he will be ready for the prestigious ATP event in California.
UTS Guadalajara Line-Up
With Kyrgios out, Fognini joins a strong eight-player field featuring some of the biggest ATP stars.
Group A:
- Casper Ruud (The Ice Man, World No. 5)
- Denis Shapovalov (Shapo, World No. 32)
- Adrian Mannarino (Manna, World No. 130)
- Fabio Fognini (Fogna, World No. 94)
Group B:
- Tomas Machac (The Air Machete, World No. 24)
- Flavio Cobolli (Il Gladiatore, World No. 36)
- David Goffin (The Wall, World No. 57)
- Jakub Mensik (Menimal, World No. 45)
Casper Ruud enters the tournament as the favorite but faces stiff competition from Denis Shapovalov, who recently defeated him in the Dallas Open final.
Meanwhile, Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik will make their UTS debuts, with Cobolli embracing Mexican culture by trying on traditional Luchador masks ahead of the event.
The UTS Guadalajara tournament kicks off on Friday, February 14, with the final set to take place on Sunday, February 16.
