Draw gives Kyrgios top comeback chance – if his body holds up

Injury-stoush aside, it’s all good news for Nick Kyrgios as he returns to the Australian Open main draw for the first time since 2022, with his unseeded status not leading him directly into a top-ranking battle early in ’25.

Should he take to the court in round one, Kyrgios will face Great Britain’s Jacob Fearnley. Fearnley, 23, is unseeded just like Nick – an early contest fellow Aussie John Millman was quick to brand “relatively kind.”

Things get much tougher as soon as the second round starts, with No.28 seed Sebastian Baez expected to be waiting for a triumph Kyrgios in the Wednesday/Thursday matchup bracket. Then should he win, world No.2 Alex Kverev would be his third-round opponent.

Kyrgios’ comeback hits its first challenge earlier than Sunday though: He’s already fighting it with this injury stoush, an unavoidable situation even if everyone wishes it weren’t.

This time last year the once-world No.13 was in a similar position but had to pull out. That same tune has been hanging around the Canberra-born tennis ace since as early as December; his wrist has been the biggest worry, though an abdominal injury has flared up in the same period too.

There have been good signs – Nick called the abs injury “manageable” today – but nothing’s certain.

“I think I almost need a miracle, and I need, like, the stars to align for my wrist to hold up in a Grand Slam for sure. Today, if this was a Grand Slam, we may still be out on court, and I don’t know how I’d pull up the next day or the day after,” he said earlier of his wrist.

“I was really excited, but after today, if I’m able to play, I’m able to play.”

“I think it’s just part of the game, niggles. I don’t think anyone feels 100%,” Kyrgios added today. “As long as it’s not something like my wrist again, I can manage.”

That’s not the only thing the 29-year-old Aussie bad boy of tennis believes he can manage either: If (when) he takes the court on Sunday (or Monday or Tuesday, depending on the match schedule) Kyrgios won’t be worried about his time off. He knows just how good he can be – and he also knows everyone else knows too.

He’ll slip right back in, the comeback kid declared to the media on the eve of the major.

“I’ve beaten pretty much everyone the sport’s put in front of me, so I’m always going to back my ability,” Kyrgios declared with his usual bravado.

“People always say ‘be realistic’ or ‘you’re not going to be the same’ but I don’t have that mindset. I always have the utmost confidence in my ability that if I’m playing my style of tennis and my unpredictability I’ve got a chance against anyone.

“I think that’s the mindset that you need to have.”