Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley has expressed optimism about Nick Kyrgios making a comeback at the 2024 Melbourne Grand Slam. Despite Kyrgios’ limited appearances on the tennis court in recent years—his only match in 2023 being a first-round loss in Stuttgart—the tennis star has been working through knee and wrist injuries that have kept him sidelined.
Tiley, speaking on Nine’s “Today” show, confidently declared, “Nick Kyrgios will play at Melbourne Park in January.” However, when pressed for further clarification, Tiley added, “We know he’s out there practicing and preparing for the summer. He loves playing in Australia. We expect him to be back and we know he’s on track with that preparation, but a lot can play out in the next couple of months.”
Kyrgios has spent much of 2023 off the court, taking on media roles as a commentator and analyst for ESPN during Grand Slam events. His potential return would bring excitement to Australian men’s tennis, which has seen a resurgence. Australia boasts 10 players inside the ATP Top 100, including rising star Alex de Minaur, who broke into the top-10 rankings this year.
While the men’s side has been thriving, the women’s representation faces a tougher challenge, with only two Australian players, Olivia Gadecki and Ajla Tomljanovic, inside the top-100. However, with promising players such as Daria Saville and Arina Rodionova in the top-200, there is hope for a strong showing at the Australian Open.
The main draw of the Australian Open will begin on January 12, and the tournament is set to showcase an exciting lineup of both Australian and international talent. “We are absolutely excited about the line-up both on the men’s and women’s side for what’s going to be an unbelievable three weeks of summer,” Tiley concluded.
Nick Kyrgios’ potential return adds even more anticipation to the event as fans eagerly await the star’s homecoming.
Nick Kyrgios in 2024
Now the world no.470, the Australian played his last match on the 13th of June 2023 when he was overcome by world no.560 Yibing Wu 7-5 6-3 in the 1st round in Stuttgart (draw).
At present, during this year the Australian owns an overall 0-1 win-loss record.