Nick Kyrgios accuses Lleyton Hewitt of throwing him ‘under the bus’ in latest spat ahead of Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios has accused Australia co-captain Lleyton Hewitt of throwing him “under the bus” after he decided to withdraw from the United Cup.

Kyrgios’ absence was confirmed on Wednesday – a day before his opening scheduled match against Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie – as he spoke about the need to prioritise his physical health ahead of his hotly-anticipated campaign at Melbourne Park in January.

Hewitt said that he had been unaware of Kyrgios’ withdrawal until the 27-year-old’s public announcement as he demonstrated his clear frustration over what he perceived to be a lack of communication from the Canberra star.

A day after Hewitt’s comments another Australia player, Ajla Tomljanovic, withdrew from her match against Britain’s Harriet Dart due to a left knee injury. Kyrgios pounced at the opportunity to respond to a Twitter post about the news as he questioned if her decision would be greeted by co-captain Sam Stosur in a similar fashion to how Hewitt had with his.

“Mmm I wonder if Stosur will throw her under the bus like our captain did for me… ‘hard to prepare when you don’t know what’s going on’,” Kyrgios said.

Kyrgios has also explained the reasons behind his 11th-hour withdrawal from the United Cup and said that he feels “people underestimate the pressure” that is on players as they prepare for major tournaments.

“Anyone outside of that wouldn’t have a great understanding. Going deep or not, winning a match at a Grand Slam level is not an easy task. People underestimate the pressure and the nerves with being a part of one of the biggest tournaments of the year.

“Throw in an injury and knowing you didn’t give yourself the best chance only adds to the mountain of pressure you face. So, feeling good physically is important.”

Stosur said she had not had any conversations with Kyrgios prior to his decision to withdraw. However, he has said that he was in regular discussions with senior figures along the way.

“I was in contact with Craig [Tiley from Tennis Australia] and Stephen [Farrow, United Cup tournament director] regularly about the situation,” Kyrgios explained.

“We all worked together to try and get the best outcome. Not everyone is going to understand or see it from my side and that is okay. What my team and I can control is how we go about our business and make sure who needs to know, knows – and we leave it at that.

“It is obviously very difficult. It’s not ideal to have an injury at any time in the season, but that is the risk I run every time I step on court. I was working every day very closely with my team about my progression and speaking with William, my physio, after every session.

“I tried to be ready for it, but at some point, you need to listen to the advice you’re receiving and do what is best.”

United Cup tournament director Stephen Farrow defended Kyrgios and explained how the decision came about.

“He left it to the last possible moment to confirm whether he was able to compete or not,” Farrow said.

“These things happen in tennis, especially when you’re two weeks out from a Grand Slam. This is a big event in its own right now.

“There’s $15m [US dollars] prize money and 500 ranking points. But as a player, you have to keep one eye on the Grand Slams. The fact he was here practising, he had every intention to play. Sadly, it’s not to be.”

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