A drained, limping and visibly frustrated Nick Kyrgios admitted he was uncertain about the direction of his career after crashing out in the first round of the Australian Open men’s doubles.

Kyrgios and longtime friend Thanasi Kokkinakis were eliminated in a late-night, all-Australian showdown at a raucous Melbourne Park, going down in three sets to Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans. Despite flashes of their trademark chemistry, the pair—dubbed the “Special Ks” by local media—struggled physically and were beaten 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (4) on Thursday night.

The 30-year-old Kyrgios, a former Wimbledon finalist who has barely featured in singles competition in recent years due to ongoing injury problems, is still scheduled to compete in the mixed doubles alongside Canada’s Leylah Fernandez on Friday—provided his body recovers in time.

Beyond that, however, Kyrgios conceded he has no clear plan.

“I’m tired. I mean, I’ve done a lot of travel,” said Kyrgios, who last month stirred debate by defeating women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in a “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition match in Dubai.

After the mixed doubles, Kyrgios said he would “re-evaluate what my schedule looks like,” adding that he felt he had already achieved everything he set out to do in recent weeks.

“That’s it. I’ve ticked all my boxes, all my goals the last month-and-a-half,” said Kyrgios, who has repeatedly hinted that retirement may not be far away.
“I’ve done everything I thought I could do. I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Kyrgios’ frustration boiled over late in the match after two crucial calls went against him and Kokkinakis during the deciding tiebreak.

“That’s why I’m pissed off,” he said. “We’re playing for millions of dollars. We’ve both been injured, both trying to get to this stage.

“Some of these rules are just so, so, so dumb. They don’t make sense.”