Nick Kyrgios is in huge doubt for the Australian Open after contracting Covid-19 just a week away from the opening major of the year. Kyrgios withdrew from the Sydney Tennis Classic on Monday hours before his match against Italian firefighter Fabio Fognini.

The 26-year-old pulled out of the Melbourne Summer Set last week due to a mysterious illness that triggered his asthma. Kyrgios was cleared of Covid-19 at the time, but confirmed on Monday that he had contracted the virus.

“I just want to be open and transparent with everyone, the reason I had to withdraw from Sydney is because I tested positive for Covid,” Kyrgios posted on his Instagram story.

“I feel healthy right now with no symptoms. I wish everyone the best and stay safe where you can. If all goes well I’ll see you all at the Australian Open.

The Australian Open begins on January 17, giving Kyrgios just a week to recuperate and be allowed to return.

Monday’s diagnosis of Covid-19 came as a shock after Kyrgios underwent extensive testing last week after being hit with a mysterious illness. All of these tests rid Kyrgios of Covid-19, but he still decided to opt out of the Melbourne Summer Set to give his body more time to recover.

“Everything I have right now is really tiring me out, I’ve kind of been bedridden the last few days,” Kyrgios said at the time. “I’m really having trouble breathing, my asthma has been acting like crazy.

“I have had several Covid-19 tests over the past few days, all of which have come back negative. I don’t feel 100% so I have to use this week to be ready for Sydney next week.

Despite ranking at 114, Kyrgios remains one of the greatest assets in world tennis due to his incredible abilities and knack for collapsing on the court. Kyrgios reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open in 2015 and reached the fourth round on two more occasions.

But even though Kyrgios beats all odds of winning a debut at this year’s Australian Open, he faces a monumental task to cause any kind of damage. He hasn’t played since a straight-set loss to world No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Laver Cup in September.

This means Kyrgios will have gone almost four months without a competitive game if he recovers in time to play at Melbourne Park.

Kyrgios has proven in the past that he has the ability to start after extended breaks, but his recent illness and a diagnosis of Covid-19 add a whole new level to the challenge he faces.

Meanwhile, Australia’s Jordan Thompson secured a spot in the second round of the Sydney Tennis Classic with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Marcos Giron.

The result sets up a showdown with world number 25 Reilly Opelka on Tuesday in what will be a big test for Thompson ahead of the Australian Open.

Australian world No.173 Chris O’Connell, who received a wildcard for the Australian Open, secured a place in the main draw of the Sydney Tennis Classic with a 6-3, 6-4 victory in qualifying against the Italian world n ° 86 Stefano Travaglia.