Kei Nishikori has announced he will not compete in the Australian Open next month. He follows Andy Murray who stated on Sunday that he won’t be making his return at the tournament due to a setback in his injury recovery.
“Unfortunately, I’ve had a setback recently and, as a precaution, need to work through that before I get back on the court competing,” Murray said via a Tennis Australia statement.
“I’ve worked so hard to get myself into a situation where I can play at the top level and I’m gutted I’m not going to be able to play.”
“After the Australian Open earlier this year, when I wasn’t sure whether I’d be able to play again, I was excited about coming back to Australia and giving my best, and that makes this even more disappointing for me.”
Nishikori also out injured
Tennis Australia issued a statement on Monday explaining that the Japanese tennis player is withdrawn from the tournament at Melbourne Park, as well as the ATP Cup, because of a right elbow injury.
“Today, together with my team, we have made this decision as I am still not 100 percent ready (or) healthy to compete at the highest level,” Nishikori said.
“This decision was not taken lightly as Australia is one of my favorite places to compete. Together with my team, I will keep working hard to be back on the court as soon as possible. Thanks for all the support.”