Kyrgios Retires Amid Injury; Griekspoor Upsets Top Seed at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios retired from his first-round match at the BNP Paribas Open on Thursday night due to a wrist injury, leaving his participation in future tournaments uncertain. Kyrgios was trailing Borna Coric 7-6 (7), 3-0 when he made the decision to withdraw.

“It’s all an experiment at this point,” Kyrgios said about his ongoing struggle with injuries that have kept him off the court for much of the last two seasons. He further expressed frustration, stating, “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.”

Last year, Kyrgios only played one match and missed all of 2024 due to injuries and surgeries. His most recent competitive appearance was in Brisbane in January, where he has yet to win a singles match across three tournaments played, including the Australian Open.

Kyrgios aggravated his wrist injury during practice earlier this week but insisted he wanted to compete at Indian Wells. After falling behind 4-1 in the opening set, he fought back to force a tiebreak, showcasing his renowned skill. However, as the match progressed, the pain became too intense for him to continue.

“I want to go out there and I want to compete,” said Kyrgios. “When I had the surgery 18 months ago… I want to play. I took the court [tonight] even knowing I was going to be in discomfort after my practice two days prior.”

Kyrgios had planned to participate in the Miami Open starting March 19, but his ability to play will largely depend on how his wrist responds to treatment in the coming days. “Obviously the time frame of Miami is not ideal, but I was scheduled to play that, so I will see how my wrist responds,” he added.

In another significant event at Indian Wells, Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor scored a stunning upset over World No. 2 Alexander Zverev, winning 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) in a marathon match lasting over three hours. Griekspoor’s victory marked his first win over a top-five player after 19 attempts.

“It was such a mental thing. I lost to him five times last year and had absolute heartbreak at Roland Garros,” Griekspoor said, reflecting on the mental hurdles he faced against Zverev.

Despite Zverev serving for the match during the second set, he couldn’t close it out. Griekspoor capitalized, winning the second-set tiebreak and ultimately sealing his victory in the deciding tiebreak after saving multiple match points.

Griekspoor, now ranked No. 43, will move on to face Sebastian Korda in the third round. Reflecting on his performance, he expressed pride in achieving a long-awaited victory against Zverev. In contrast, Zverev remarked on his current struggles, stating, “I’m just not playing good tennis at the moment. It’s as simple as that,” emphasizing his need to regroup moving forward.