Nick Kyrgios has made a controversial exit from Wimbledon, swearing at an umpire and hinting that his 2026 appearance would be his last at the All England Club. The injury-plagued Australian, playing his first match at the tournament since losing the 2022 singles final to Novak Djokovic, teamed up with Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the men's doubles. They lost 6-3 6-4 to sixth seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic.
Kyrgios lashes out at umpire
During the match, Kyrgios had an exchange with French umpire Manuel Absolu. In response to an unheard comment, Kyrgios said: "Honestly, at this point you can fine me, I honestly don't even care. Honestly you can fine me, I don't give a s---. All these rules are so dumb anyway." He was fined three times during the 2022 Championships, totalling £14,500 ($A28,000), for swearing and spitting.
Emotional farewell
After the match, Kyrgios told reporters: "It would be hard to see myself coming back here again and competing." He added that towards the end of the match he was "looking around and taking everything in" and "it was tough." Reflecting on his 2022 final, he said: "That final was always going to be one of the better memories of my tennis career, but I just can't see myself getting back to anywhere near that level."
Uncertain future
The 31-year-old did not confirm retirement but was non-committal about a potential final appearance at the 2027 Australian Open. "I've just got so many thoughts right now," Kyrgios said. "You go from making finals of grand slams to struggling to play multiple singles matches." He also noted that relying on Wimbledon wildcards was unrealistic: "The wildcards are a very heavy, unreliant thing to plan schedules on. So I'm obviously super grateful for that opportunity."
A career that began at Wimbledon
Kyrgios's career launched at the 2014 Wimbledon, where he beat Rafael Nadal in the round of 16. "This has always been a venue and a place where I've played my best tennis. My career kicked off here and my life changed forever after that," he said.
