Kyrgios' Australian Open Comeback Ends in Defeat

Nick Kyrgios' return to major competition from a grueling near two-and-a-half-year injury layoff ended in disappointment as he was defeated in straight sets by Great Britain's Jacob Fearnley in two hours and 20 minutes.

The Australian, who was making his first appearance at a Grand Slam since the 2023 Wimbledon Championships, struggled with an abdominal strain throughout the match and was unable to generate his usual power on his serve.

Kyrgios, who has been battling persistent knee and wrist injuries over the past 12 months, said he was happy to play through the pain but admitted that his body was not ready for the rigours of Grand Slam tennis.

“I'm happy to play through a bit of discomfort. When it gets to a point of... I'm one of the biggest servers on tour and I'm getting out-served tonight. My average serve speed was beneath 200km/h. I mean, Nick Kyrgios without his serve is probably not a threat to many players,” Kyrgios said after the match.

The 29-year-old, who has won 11 ATP Tour titles in his career, said he was unsure what the future held for him but confirmed that he would be playing in the Australian Open doubles with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis.

“I'm not sure what's next. I'll take a few days to rest and recover and then we'll see what happens. I'll definitely be putting myself in the frame to play the other majors this year but I don't know if I'll be back here at the Australian Open next year,” Kyrgios said.

Kyrgios' defeat means that he has now lost his last four Grand Slam singles matches, dating back to the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

The Australian Open continues on Tuesday with Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams all in action.