(Provided by Tennis World USA)
John McEnroe warns Nick Kyrgios definitely can be a threat at Wimbledon if he feels fit and healthy enough. Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, missed the first six months of the season after undergoing knee surgery in January.
In the first week of the grass season, Kyrgios made his return as he picked up a surprise Stuttgart first-round defeat to Yibing Wu. During the match, Kyrgios was heard complaining to his team about feeling pain and discomfort in his knee.
Last week, Kyrgios withdrew from Halle and he also pulled out of this week’s ATP event in Mallorca.
McEnroe on if Kyrgios has any chance at Wimbledon
“I remember seeing him last year in terms of his training, he looked fitter, he was moving better, he was more committed.
And look what it resulted in. He was able to get to a Wimbledon final. To me, he would be a major threat on grass if he is on. No one wants to play him, that I can assure you of. Obviously, if he’s back and fit and mentally sort of focused, he’s going to give it his all, then yes he can be a threat,” McEnroe said of Kyrgios, per inews.co.uk.
Just like last year, Kyrgios was scheduled to play three tournaments leading up to Wimbledon. But after starting his grass season in Stuttgart, Kyrgios missed Halle and Mallorca due to a knee issue. In Halle, Kyrgios admitted that he wouldn’t be able to play his best and that’s why he felt pulling out was the right thing to do.
“Hey guys, it’s Nick Kyrgios here. Very unfortunate news that I won’t be able to compete in Halle this year. Still dealing with a couple of things to my knee. Still trying to give myself the best opportunity to compete at Wimbledon.
As you all know, that tournament means a lot to me and I just want to do everything right for my body. I didn’t want to go out there and not give you the same performance I gave you last year. So, hopefully, next year I will be healthy enough to play, see you soon,” Kyrgios in a statement last week. It will be interesting to see how much will Kyrgios be able to do at Wimbledon.
