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Nick Kyrgios withdraws from French Open as knee injury recovery continues

Nick Kyrgios withdrew before the Australian Open in January with a knee injury that later needed surgery. (Getty Images: James D Morgan)

Nick Kyrgios will miss the French Open as he continues his recovery from a knee injury that forced him out of the Australian Open earlier this year.

The 28-year-old had surgery on the injury in January but has not recovered in time to play the clay court grand slam tournament, which starts on May 28.

Kyrgios has not played the second major of the year since losing to Kevin Anderson as the 18th seed in the second round in 2017.

The surface is not his favourite, preferring faster grass and hard courts, and Roland-Garros is the only slam where he has never gone past the third round.

Despite his indifference to the tournament and the surface, Kyrgios had flagged that he would likely return to the French Open because girlfriend Costeen Hatzi wanted to see Paris.

The news of Kyrgios's withdrawal was broken by Portuguese tennis journalist José Morgado on Twitter, with the French Tennis Federation confirming to Reuters.

Kyrgios is also this week mourning the death of his grandmother, saying on Instagram: "Seems like I can't catch a break right now.

"RIP Yiayia, the best we could ask for. Go enjoy your time with Papou now."

Kyrgios has regularly spoken about the impact and importance of his family to him, struggling with his mother's illness recently and choosing to keep a less intense ATP schedule so he can spend more time in Canberra.

In February, a charge of common assault against him was dismissed despite an earlier plea of guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court.

He is currently ranked 26th in the world but has not played on the ATP tour since a tournament in Tokyo last October.

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