Nick Kyrgios believes this year will “definitely” be the last in the career of Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard has been plagued by injuries and missed the majority of 2023 with a hip flexor issue that required surgery.

Asked how much longer he thinks Nadal’s body can last, Kyrgios, who is currently sidelined with a wrist issue, said on Eurosport: “I mean that was my fear of coming back too early. Last year was a big year, 2022 was huge for me and then [I was] riddled with injury.

“That’s a fear for all of us as athletes: [that] we put in the work – and a great champion like Rafa puts in a year of work – and comes back maybe a little bit too early and reaggravates something that’s been keeping him out.

“Honestly, I hope he stays and plays because we all know how much he means to the sport and how entertaining he is to watch, but realistically I would say this is definitely his last year on tour and I think his eyes will be set on the French [Open], but I think that’s about it.”

Speaking ahead of the year’s opening Grand Slam in Melbourne, Mats Wilander admitted “it’s time that we start to celebrate” Nadal as his career draws to a close.

“We want him to be able to say farewell, of course. I’m not really sure what that farewell is supposed to look like,” Wilander said.

“Obviously, we had maybe one of the greatest farewells ever with Roger Federer at the Laver Cup in the O2 Arena. It wasn’t unexpected that he was eventually going to say farewell but it wasn’t a very serious day of tennis.

“We had the farewell of Serena Williams a couple of years ago at the US Open, which was amazing.

“Maybe we won’t get the same farewell. For me, all I really want to see from Rafa Nadal is that he says farewell when he wants to say farewell, not when he’s forced to say farewell, and I think at the moment the injury world is not being very kind.”