A tearful Nick Kyrgios was forced to retire from his first-round match at Indian Wells with a wrist injury.

It is another setback to Kyrgios’ delayed return to competitive tennis after 18 months out with various injury issues, including to the same right wrist, which he needed surgery on in September 2023.

He had been trailing 7-6 (9-7), 3-0 against Botic van de Zandschulp when he opted to retire, becoming visibly emotional as he spoke to a trainer before shaking hands with the Dutchman.

The Australian had fought back from 4-1 down to force a tiebreak, but could not convert a set point and began to struggle physically. He later admitted that he had had to stop practice two days prior when he felt pain in his wrist.

“This process has been probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced in my life,” he said. “Reality, it’s not too bad, but for my tennis career, it’s by far the biggest.

“I guess it’s just the amount of work I put in and I’m still having so much discomfort in my wrist. That’s I guess why I got a bit emotional towards the end because it’s one of my favourite tournaments.”

It was the 29-year-old’s first match since a first-round defeat at the Australian Open in January, when he struggled with an abdominal muscle strain.

His next scheduled tournament is the Miami Open, the second half of the ‘Sunshine Double’ after Indian Wells, which begins on 18 March.

However, he indicated that his participation in Miami was now in doubt.

“We go back to the drawing board as a team and we try and figure out a way to get through these matches,” Kyrgios said.

“I would have loved to be able to finish that match, even if I lose, just as a building block. But now if I’m not finishing matches that becomes a concern.”

Kyrgios said after the Australian Open that he had possibly played in his last singles match at his home grand slam, while he and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis had to retire midway through their first-round match at Melbourne Park with both suffering injuries.

“No-one in the sport has had a wrist reconstruction and tried to play after that,” Kyrgios added.

“It’s all an experiment at this point. I was told I was arguably maybe not ever playing tennis again.”

Van de Zandsculp will play Novak Djokovic in the second round, with the Serb seeded and receiving a first-round bye.