Scouting Report: Djokovic & Kyrgios in Brisbane, Rublev headlines Hong Kong | ATP Tour

Scouting Report

Scouting Report: Djokovic & Kyrgios’ double duty in Brisbane, Rublev headlines Hong Kong

An executive summary of what every fan should know about the coming week

December 29, 2024

With the 2025 ATP Tour season already underway at the United Cup, a host of top stars are set to join in the action this week in Brisbane and Hong Kong.

Novak Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov and Holger Rune lead the field at the Brisbane International presented by Evie, where home favourite Nick Kyrgios competes in his first tour-level event since June 2023. At the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open, Andrey Rublev returns as the top seed and defending champion.

ATPTour.com looks ahead at five things to watch at each event.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN BRISBANE
1) Djokovic Seeks Fast Start In 2025: Fans in Brisbane will have the chance to watch Novak Djokovic up close for the first time since 2009 when the Serbian steps on court at Pat Rafter Arena. The former No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings, who is chasing his 100th tour-level title, will take on home wild card Rinky Hijikata in his opening singles match. Djokovic, whose only title in 2024 came at the Paris Olympics, will be competing for the first time since he reached the Rolex Shanghai Masters final in September.

2) Kyrgios Makes Tour Return: After missing more than 18 months due to injury, Nick Kyrgios makes his return to the ATP Tour in Brisbane. The 29-year-old, a former World No. 13, lifted one of his seven tour-level titles in Brisbane in 2018. Kyrgios begins his campaign against the fast-rising big server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Queensland.

3) Defending Champ Dimitrov: Grigor Dimitrov snapped a six-year title drought in Brisbane a year ago. The Bulgarian’s title run at the ATP 250 set him up for a rock-solid 2024 season during which he racked up 46 tour-level wins and returned to the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time since 2018. He returns to Brisbane for the 2025 edition as the second seed.

4) Top 20 Stars: Third seed Holger Rune will aim to go one step further in Brisbane after his championship-match run a year ago. The World No. 13 is chasing his first ATP Tour crown since April 2023. Another Top 20 star, Frances Tiafoe, is aiming for his second tour-level hard-court trophy after his Delray Beach triumph in 2018. The American is a potential second-round opponent for Kyrgios.

5) Djokovic/Kyrgios Double Up: Before either Djokovic or Kyrgios step onto the singles court, the pair will team up for some star-studded doubles action in Brisbane. Competing for the first time together, the duo will face Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies on Monday not before 6:30 p.m. local time. The winner of that match faces top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus in the second round.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN HONG KONG
1) Rublev Seeks Consecutive HK Crowns: Andrey Rublev enjoyed a memorable week when the Bank of China Hong Kong Tennis Open last season returned to the ATP Tour calendar for the first time since 2002. Rublev kick-started his 2024 season by lifting his 15th tour-level title at the ATP 250, and he will again compete as the top seed at the 2025 edition. The World No. 8 begins his title defence against Roman Safiullin or Fabian Marozsan.

2) Musetti Leads Top 20 Charge: A trio of Top 20 stars — Lorenzo Musetti, Karen Khachanov and Arthur Fils — will aim to launch 2025 with a title in Hong Kong. Musetti is chasing his first tour-level title since 2022, while Khachanov and Fils each lifted two trophies in 2024.

3) Shang Meets Home Hope Wong: The 2024 semi-finalist Shang Juncheng may be a fan favourite in Hong Kong, but the #NextGenATP star’s opening opponent Coleman Wong, the No. 1 player from Hong Kong in the PIF ATP Rankings, will likely also enjoy plenty of crowd support. The first-round clash will be the second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the two, after Shang triumphed last October in Shanghai.

4) Can Nishikori, Shapovalov Continue Comebacks?: Kei Nishikori and Denis Shapovalov have each struggled with injury in recent seasons, but both finished 2024 on a high. The former World No. 4 Nishikori lifted an ATP Challenger Tour crown to cap his year in November, while Shapovalov claimed his second ATP Tour title that same month in Belgrade. The two players will face off in the first round in Hong Kong, with the winner facing Khachanov in the second round.

5) Doumbia/Reboul Seek Asian Hat-trick: Two-time Chengdu titlists Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul seek their third tour-level crown in Asia as the top seeds in Hong Kong. Their rivals in the draw include second seeds Adam Pavlasek and Jean-Julien Rojer, while singles stars in doubles action include Khachanov/Rublev, Shang/Shapovalov and Musetti/Lorenzo Sonego.

How To Watch This Week’s Tournaments