Nick Kyrgios' girlfriend Costeen Hatzi reacts to Aussie's Australian Open withdrawal, feels he did the right thing for his body
Nick Kyrgios' girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, felt "devastated" by the news of the Aussie's shocking withdrawal from the 2023 Australian Open but conveyed that it was wise to do the right thing for his body.
Kyrgios' pull-out from the first Major of the season came as a surprise to his home fans. He mentioned a knee injury as the cause of his unexpected exit. The country's hopes of witnessing a homegrown man win the Major title Down Under after 47 years took a huge blow as a result.
In light of the saddening news, Hatzi took to Instagram to express her disappointment. However, she acknowledged Kyrgios' prudent decision.
"Devastated. Needs to do what is right for his body," she wrote in her Instagram stories.
Nick Kyrgios also marked his frustration over the unexpected exit via social media. At the same time, he expressed hopes of returning "stronger" on the court after recovering from the injury.
"man……. this one hurts, to all my fans, I will be back stronger," he captioned his Instagram post.
The Australian No. 1 was supposed to face World No. 97 Roman Safiullin in the first round of the tournament on Tuesday.
Nick Kyrgios feels the withdrawal from Australian Open was "brutal," considering he was "one of the favorites" in the event
Nick Kyrgios expressed extreme dejection at having failed to participate in the Australian Open despite considering himself one of the favorites to win the title.
In a hastily arranged press conference on Monday, Kyrgios announced his exit from the tournament and reflected on the same.
"I'm devastated, obviously. It's like my home tournament. I've had some great memories here. Obviously last year, winning the title in doubles and playing the best tennis of my life probably, then going into this event as one of the favourites, it's brutal," the 27-year-old conveyed.
He acknowledges that such injuries are part of the sport and that he will "draw inspiration" from compatriot and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis to deal with the setback.
"This coming around is just bad timing. But that's life. Injury is a part of the sport. I guess I can draw some inspiration from someone like Thanasi [Kokkinakis] who has had a bunch of injuries and has bounced back," he asserted.
Nick Kyrgios has made it clear that he has no doubts on whether he will get back to his full strength upon recovery.
"Look, I'm not doubting I will be back to my full strength and playing the tennis I was playing prior to this event," the 2022 Washington Open champion stated.
"All I can do now is just look forward, do what I need to do and come back," he added.