The organisers of the BNP Paribas Open have confirmed that Milos Raonic and Nick Kyrgios will not play in the final Masters tournament of the year due to injury issues.
World No.9 Raonic has withdrawn due to a back injury. The Canadian has been troubled by back problems during the past couple of months. During the US Open he experienced trouble with his lower back as well as back spasms. During his third round loss to Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, he called for a medical time for treatement on his back.
The back issue is the latest injury woe to Raonic’s troublesome year. He missed a month of the tour earlier this year to undergo surgery on his foot. The Canadian suffered from Morton’s Neuroma, a condition that affects one of the nerves between the toes. During the Aegon Championships in June, Raonic admitted that he still experiences inconsistent pain with the nerve in his foot.
In the main draw Raonic will be replaced by Czech Republic’s Jiri Vesely. The 22-year-old is currently ranked 38th in the world, three away from his career high.
Joining Raonic on the injury list is Nick Kyrgios who has withdrawn from the qualifying draw due to an arm injury. The announcement comes a day after the Australian lost a tight three sets match in the first round of the Valencia Open to German world No.170 Daniel Brands. The withdrawal means that Bernard Tomic will end the year as the highest ranked Australian player on the ATP Tour.
Kyrgios will be replaced in the draw by Belgium’s Steve Darcis. During Belgium’s recent Davis Cup semifinal clash against Argentina, Darcis won the deciding match to take his country into their first Davis Cup final since 1904.
