Nick Kyrgios says he’s feeling the best he has “in two years” with confirmation he’ll go back to the tournament he won in 2018 in Brisbane to kickstart his return to competitive tennis.
The former Wimbledon finalist will be the headline act at the Brisbane International in December, returning to the court after playing only one tour match in more than two years.
The 29-year-old has been sidelined with several injuries, including a career-threatening wrist issue and a knee complaint since the 2022 US Open quarter-finals, a setback that came just six weeks after reaching the Wimbledon decider when he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
Kyrgios, who had signalled his desire to play in the Australian Open, will also play in the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi before heading to Brisbane, feeling confident in his body.
“Honestly, this is probably the best I’ve felt in two years,” he told 9News.
“I played that amazing year in 2022. Then at the finals in Wimbledon and US Open, that’s when I started feeling some issues in my wrist. I had that wrist reconstruction and now I’m feeling amazing.
“It was a 15 miracle per cent chance that I was going to get back to playing at this level and here we are.
“To get back out there in front of the home fans is going to be sick.”
Kyrgios, who was ranked as high as 13 in the world, is unranked and could need a wildcard to get into the Australian Open, which he last played in 2022.
He’ll join Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka in the field at the Brisbane International.
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