Nick Kyrgios is hopeful a blood platelet injection for a debilitating knee injury can get him back to his best in time for the Australian Open.
Fresh off the Laver Cup in Boston where he was part of the losing Team World, Kyrgios is returning to Australia to deal with patella tendinopathy.
Commonly known as “jumper’s knee”, the painful condition affects the patella tendon which attaches the kneecap to the shinbone.
Kyrgios, ranked world No.96, said his knee would continue to worsen without treatment.
“Hey guys, over the last couple months, I haven’t been near 100% healthy,” Kyrgios wrote on his Instagram story on Tuesday.
“I’ve been dealing with left knee patella tendinopathy, and continuing to play without fully treating it can lead to further pain and greater set backs.”
He will undergo platelet-rich plasma therapy or PRP, which involves the knee being injected with concentrated platelets from the patient’s own blood.
There’s usually a six-week return to full activity with star golfer Brooks Koepka undergoing the treatment as well as Canberra Raiders captain Jarrod Croker, who had the therapy mid-season.
“I’ve chosen to fly back to Australia to reassess and am planning to get PRP treatment to settle down and rehab my knee
“I’m disappointed as it has kept me from playing my best tennis and hopefully with everything going smoothly I will be back to 100 per cent by the Australian Open.”
A first-round casualty at the US Open, Kyrgios revealed after the Laver Cup defeat that he doesn’t plan to play on the tour for many more years.
He also said he wanted to spend time with his sick mother Norlaila.
“I don’t know how much longer I will be in tennis,” the 26-year-old said.
“This is my last event of the year. I will get my body right ahead of the Aus Open.
“My mum is not doing too well with her health. I’d like to go back and see her.”
AAP
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