Nick Kyrgios has announced he will play in the 2025 Australian Open in an effort to claim the first grand slam singles title of his career.
Speaking at a SXSW (South By Southwest) event in Sydney on Thursday, the 29-year-old Wimbledon finalist was clear about his intentions to return after playing just one ATP-level match in the past two years due to ongoing wrist, knee and foot injuries.
Nick Kyrgios speaks at a SXSW event in Sydney on Thursday.Credit: Getty
“The injury I had was brutal … The surgeon said I probably wouldn’t be able to play again. But I said whatever, just try and get me another two-to-three years of my career,” Kyrgios said.
“Everything has gone semi-well, and I will be playing the Australia [sic] Open this summer. It’s been a brutal last couple of years … but just being out there to play in front of a home crowd … I just want to be out there, lighting up the crowd and playing in front of my own country.
“Whether it is good or bad, it will certainly be a lot of fun, for sure. I am looking forward to it … My only motivation to come back and play is to try and win a grand slam, and I’ll give it one more shot.”
Kyrgios’ comments come two days after he told Code Sports he wanted to “shut people up” [doubters] by winning a Grand Slam singles title.
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios after they won the 2022 men’s doubles title at the Australian Open.Credit: AP
“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game,” he said.
“I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a grand slam, won multiple titles and made money.
“But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a grand slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day. That will be my deep motivation.”
Kyrgios’ greatest grand slam singles success was in 2022 when he played Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. He managed to take the first set off Djokovic, before the then-world No.1 went on to win the championship in four sets.
That same year Kyrgios had won the 2022 Australian Open doubles title with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis, but he is yet to make it past the quarter-finals in the singles draw at his home Slam.
He has taken on a number of commentating roles during his time off the court, including with the BBC and ESPN, and conducted on-court interviews with players at this year’s Australian Open.
Brisbane International remain hopeful he will make his Australian return at the end of this year, after Kyrgios indicated he could make his comeback at World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi in December.
