Nick Kyrgios faced Aryna Sabalenka in the 'Battle of the S*xes', which took place at the 'Coca Cola Arena' in Dubai yesterday.
The Australian ace won the match against the WTA number 1, but showed a shape that was far from ideal. It should not be forgotten that the former world number 13 has played very few official matches in the last three years and many already consider him a former player, having had too many injuries that have affected him.
It seems like a very long time since he reached the final at the Wimbledon Championships and most fans have stopped believing in his talent. The player from Canberra has only made five official matches this year, with a bad balance of one win and four losses.
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Kyrgios is far from a good shape
A few weeks ago, Nick said he was feeling much better physically and it was announced that he will compete in Brisbane at the start of next season. It's no secret that he wants to try to get a wild card for the Australian Open, which starts on Sunday, January 18 at Melbourne Park.
However if his condition were to remain so flawed it would be a huge risk for the Happy Slam organizers to grant him a wild card. The first Major of the season represents one of the toughest tournaments ever also due to the weather conditions and Kyrgios does not seem able to withstand such an effort.
Speaking to 'The Daily Mail', former world No.8 Mark Philippoussis shared his brutal opinion on Nick's current status: "If he can play 100% in Melbourne, it's only fair that he gets a wild card and it doesn't matter if he gets knocked out right away.
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On the contrary if he were not in good condition he would cause damage to his image and to the tournament. I don't know what he plans to do and if he is serious about resuming his career. He struggled to move last year and injuries plagued him. Maybe it would be better to give a young Australian player a chance."
