Nick Kyrgios expected to return for Australian Open, Craig Tiley says
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Nick Kyrgios has been doing television and broadcasting work while he was injured.
PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY – Australian Open chief executive Craig Tiley said on Oct 10 that he expects to see Australian former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios back in action at Melbourne Park for the season-opening Grand Slam in January.
Kyrgios pulled out of this season’s Australian Open and has played just one singles tour match in the last two years as he battled knee, foot and wrist injuries.
In his long absence from court, he has done television and broadcasting work but recent messages posted on his social media accounts suggested that he will be looking to resume his playing career towards the end of the year.
“Nick will be back,” Tiley told Australia’s Channel Nine TV on Oct 10 as he promoted the tournament which he has run for the best part of two decades.
“We know he’s out there practising and preparing for the summer. He loves playing in Australia. We expect to see him back and we know he’s on track with that preparation.”
The talented 29-year-old has always been a major draw at his home Australian Open and attracted vociferous support from his compatriots, even if he only once reached the quarter-final stage back in 2015.
Kyrgios reached the second round on his last singles appearance at Melbourne Park in 2022, losing in four sets to eventual finalist Daniil Medvedev.
He followed that with a run to the final at Wimbledon and the quarter-finals at the US Open before the rash of injuries started taking their toll.
Tiley said in 2023 that he expected Kyrgios to return for the 2024 Australian Open and added a codicil on Oct 10 when pressed whether he was certain the former world No. 13 would be in action when the Grand Slam gets under way on Jan 12.
“A lot can play out in the next couple of months, but we look forward to seeing Nick back,” he said.
Australian great Lleyton Hewitt, however, said Kyrgios is facing the “biggest challenge he’s ever faced” to return to his best, should he come back soon.
“He’s still got to get over the niggles obviously, and even when you start to up your practice, you’ve (got to) be able to push through those setbacks as well,” he said.
“That’s how it’s going to be for the couple of months leading in... he’s going to have to try and play as many practice sets (as possible) to go into a Grand Slam best-of-five sets and not hoping just to go through one round either.” REUTERS
