Nick Kyrgios is set for a challenging matchup right of the gate at the Brisbane International as he is set to clash against rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
After not playing any ATP tournaments since 2023 June, the Australian tennis star is set to return from knee and wrist surgeries in front of his home fans.
And on Saturday, the 29-year-old learned his possible path in Brisbane.
Even if Kyrgios makes it past world No. 31 Mpetshi Perricard, it won’t get any easier since his next two matchups could see him play against No. 4 seed Frances Tiafoe and fifth-seeded Sebastian Korda.
In the semifinal, the former world No. 13 could possibly meet his good friend Novak Djokovic.
Should the home favorite reach the final, he could potentially battle defending champion Grigor Dimitrov for the title.
Nick Kyrgios© Nick Kyrgios/Instagram – Fair Use
Kyrgios is a past champion in Brisbane; Feared he wouldn’t play again
In the past, the 29-year-old made two main draw appearances at the tournament – he won the title in his debut in 2018 before losing in the round-of-16 the following year.
Now, he is set to return to Brisbane after not playing there for years.
For Kyrgios, just being able to play again is a massive win, considering that he sustained an extremely serious wrist injury and that he legitimately feared that his pro tennis career was over.
“Where I was at 18 months ago, and I had the [wrist] surgery. It’s been about 16 months. I honestly never thought I’d be back playing at this level. Even entering an event like this, preparing, doing all the right things,” he said.
Since Kyrgios hasn’t competed on the main level for nearly two years, it would be tough to expect him to instantly make a huge result in Brisbane – but you never know with the Australian.
Tennis World USA