Kyrgios hits back at Hewitt after Ajla Tomljanovic’s United Cup 2023 withdrawal

World number 22, Kyrgios who has enjoyed a superb year of 2022 winning the Australian Open men’s doubles title and finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final has pulled out of the joint ATP and WTA event on Wednesday with an injury.

The news of him withdrawing from the tournaments comes with a huge criticism and kyrgios has expressed his anger on social media at the seemingly directed criticism towards him after withdrawing from the inaugural edition of the United Cup. Kyrgios defended his withdrawal by citing his recovery from injuries he had sustained earlier in Dubai and said that he wanted to be in peak condition for next month’s Australian Open.

His withdrawal reportedly even took his own team mates by surprise. Kyrgios’ Australian co-captain Lleyton Hewitt said on Thursday that he had been unaware of Kyrgios’ withdrawal until the 27-year-old’s announcement and expressed frustration over his lack of communication.

World number 22, Kyrgios hits back at his teammate saying he threw him “under the bus” after his decision to withdraw from the United Cup mixed teams tournament to be in top condition for next month’s Australian Open.

On Friday, Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic pulled out of her match against Britain’s Harriet Dart due to a left knee injury and Kyrgios referring Hewitt responded to a Twitter post wondering if she would be treated similarly by co-captain Sam Stosur.

“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.