Nick Kyrgios ready to battle on ATP Tour return | ATP Tour

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Kyrgios ‘hit by a bus’ in Brisbane, eager to push forward

Australian reflects on his first tour-level match in 18 months

December 31, 2024

Nick Kyrgios knows a thing or two about big serving.

The Australian owns one of the most devastating deliveries on the ATP Tour and has competed against some of tennis’ most renowned servers, including Ivo Karlovic, John Isner and Milos Raonic. Yet Kyrgios believes he may have just experienced the toughest returning experience of his life against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Brisbane International presented by Evie.

“I obviously went into the match understanding how he played,” said Kyrgios of the fast-rising Frenchman, who fired 36 aces in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. “I already knew that he liked to hit two first serves, but props to him, he’s found what works for his game style and he’s committed to that. He’s going to do some damage, for sure. He’s going to have a long career.

“He’s got an easy action on his serve. There were no real dips in speed or anything like that… Props to him. He’s a hell of a player. I have played Karlovic, Isner, Raonic, all the big servers, and he’s got the biggest serve by far. Yeah, that was interesting. And it sucked.”

Despite falling to a deciding-set tie-break defeat to Mpetshi Perricard, Kyrgios also spoke positively about his own performance after making his return from an 18-month injury layoff. The 29-year-old, a former No. 13 in the PIF ATP Rankings, was delighted with his level after competing for the first time since undergoing wrist surgery in September 2023.

“For me, honestly, it was a great match, considering I hadn’t played in 18 months,” said Kyrgios. “To put myself in a winning position was exciting. It was just good to be back out there and to say that I can still play a level against someone like that, who is coming off the best year of their career and only getting better and confident, and I’m coming back and I asked the question. He just played a couple big points better than I did.”

Tuesday’s match against the biggest server on Tour was undoubtedly a physical test for Kyrgios, but that did not stop him enjoying the emotional side of his long-awaited return to ATP Tour singles action.

“I did miss the competition. I compete every day, whether it’s a game on my phone or [whatever]. I love the competition,” he said. “I have given a lot to this sport, and everything that’s come good in my life has come basically from this sport.

“Going out there again, playing a top player like that, super confident, even getting aced. I was 2/4 down in the third-set tie-break, change of ends, and I was still smiling to myself right in the heat of the battle. Eighteen months ago, if you asked me and my physio and my coach that’s here this week, he was feeding me fluffy balls on my wrist. We were not expecting to be here playing again and at such a high level. We were literally a couple of points from winning.”

Having also contested a first-round doubles match on Monday in Brisbane, Kyrgios acknowledged to feeling soreness in his wrist after back-to-back match days. Yet he is feeling good about returning to court on Wednesday alongside Novak Djokovic for the pair’s second-round doubles match against top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus.

“I felt like I had been hit by a bus yesterday after doubles, to be honest. I was on the treatment table for an hour and a half before bed,” revealed Kyrgios. “But we know that’s how it’s going to be. Even doubles, you just can’t replicate the match pressure, the nervous energy. You’re returning, like these guys are professionals. The doubles guys yesterday, they were serving massive. It’s still reflex and volleys.

“For my wrist, it’s all new ground now. Today is another building block I think in the journey. I went from literally practising with people unranked in Canberra to facing the biggest server in the world in a week… I think tomorrow it’s going to be a bit of a rough day for my wrist, to be honest. It’s very sore at the moment. We were expecting that. I’m going to do all the right things, and I’ll be playing doubles, for sure.”