In brief
As he embarks on his final year on the ATP tour, Stan Wawrinka has been granted a wildcard for the Australian Open. The 40-year-old, who previously won his first Grand Slam at this venue in 2014, expressed gratitude for the opportunity. Meanwhile, fellow Australian Nick Kyrgios has opted out of the singles competition due to lack of readiness for five-set matches.
'I'd rather give my spot to someone ready to make it count'
Former Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios said he had chosen not to contest the men's singles competition at his home slam because he does not yet feel ready to play five-set matches. The 30-year-old, who has fallen to 670th in the world after struggling with injuries over recent seasons, will enter the men's doubles competition, having won that event in 2022 alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. After some good conversations with Tennis Australia I've made the call to focus on doubles for this year's AO, Kyrgios wrote on social media. I'm fit and back on court, but five-setters are a different beast and I'm not quite ready to go the distance yet. This tournament means everything to me, but I'd rather give my spot to someone who's ready to make their moment count. It's all building blocks and I'll be back next year and pumped to compete. See you out there.
