The Australian Open has suffered yet one more monumental blow on day one of many event after Nick Kyrgios revealed he had suffered a knee harm.
Having used his exhibition match towards Novak Djokovic as a take a look at, Kyrgios didn’t pull up nicely and was compelled to tug out of the event — a vicious blow for Australia, who has misplaced each its high ranked gamers in Kyrgios and Ajla Tomljanovic.
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Kyrgios is a significant drawcard, a lot so Netflix used the Aussie to kick off its Break Point documentary collection.
Tipped to offer tennis with an analogous enhance Drive to Survive gave F1 with its look behind the scenes of the game, three of the 9 gamers concerned within the first 5 episodes of the documentary — Kyrgios, Tomljanovic and Spain’s Paula Badosa — have needed to pull out of the event.
It’s already being dubbed “the Netflix curse”.
For the report, Ons Jabeur, Maria Sakkari, Felix Auger-Aliassime, Taylor Fritz, Matteo Berretini and Casper Ruud are the opposite gamers concerned within the first 5 episodes.
But there has additionally been a number of huge title stars pulling out of the season’s opening main within the lead as much as the occasion.
Two-time champion Naomi Osaka revealed her being pregnant and that she wouldn’t be taking part in in Melbourne, Venus Williams suffered an angle and knee harm taking part in in Auckland earlier this month.
Men’s world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz additionally pulled out of the Open due to a leg harm and World No. 18 Marin Cilic suffered a knee harm.
Meanwhile, defending males’s champion Rafael Nadal is seemingly out of shape and the reigning girls’s champion, Ash Barty, is retired and revealed her being pregnant final week.
Australian broadcaster Channel 9 agreed to a deal work a report $425m to lock within the rights over one other 5 years from 2025-2029, a rise of $125m than the present deal which runs till 2024.
While followers have flocked to the primary day of the event and the organisers expect to interrupt the report attendance on the event which was 800,000 set in 2020.
Even if that report is damaged, the printed numbers are certain to take a success.
Last 12 months Kyrgios or Barty matches have been value 100s of hundreds of additional viewers, whereas in 2023, Alex de Minaur is Australia’s solely seeded participant left within the draw.
Ash Barty’s Australian Open girls’s remaining match was the very best rated AO girls’s remaining of all-time, reaching 4.2m individuals at its peak.
Kyrgios was thought of one of many favourites for the event and tennis reporters have been fast to react.
The Herald Sun’s Matt Turner wrote: “After the Djokovic stuff last year, #AusOpen organisers had a dream run when Barty, Nadal & Kyrgios/Kokkinakis won.
“To have #Kyrgios, Tomljanovic, Alcaraz & Osaka withdraw, on the back of Federer, Barty, Serena & Halep not being here, is close to the opposite of that.”
Sport broadcaster Daniel Garb known as it: “A TV rights holders nightmare.”
Seven sports activities reporter Mel McLaughlin posted: “Nick Kyrgios OUT of the #AustralianOpen Massive massive loss for the tournament.”
New York Times tennis reporter Christopher Clarey posted: “Love or loathe Kyrgios, any tournament is more interesting with him in the mix. Big loss to the Australian Open in particular.”
Racquet Magazine editor Ben Rothenberg tweeted: “I hadn’t rated Kyrgios’ #AusOpen chances especially highly given his lack of preparation (and I thought his draw was pretty tough in the middle), but that’s still a big blow for him and for the tennis promoters who have chosen to centre him so frequently, especially in Australia.”
ABC’s Akash Fotedar contemplated: “I wonder what impact this will have on crowds for the tournament. No doubt Kyrgios is one of, if not the biggest drawcard. #AustralianOpen”.
