Nick Kyrgios injured himself before the Australian Open but still chose to play.
The abdominal injury was not gone, however.
The 29-year-old clearly showed that he was in pain, received treatment now and then – and had a tough time against the Scot Jacob Fearnley.
The star's home tournament then ended after three sets in the first round: 6–7 (3–7), 3–6, 6–7 (2–7).
A match that may have been his last singles match in the tournament, he says at the press conference.
I didn't want to just throw in the towel, walk away or retire, he says.
I was in pain. I respect my opponent and the fans had been waiting for hours to see me play.
The abdominal injury made it difficult for Kyrgios with his serve, but there is no rehabilitation plan at present. Instead, he is set to play doubles with his compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis.
We've won here before. We'll go out there in front of the audience and have some fun, says Kyrgios.
Next, the 23-year-old Scot Jacob Fearnley will face the Frenchman Arthur Cazaux.
Even stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Spain, and Novak Djokovic, Serbia, are moving on after wins against the Kazakh Alexander Sjevtjenko and the American Nishesh Basavareddy, respectively.
