Nick Kyrgios casts doubt over his comeback date after cryptic answer

ATP Tour

Kevin Palmer
April 12, 2023

Nick Kyrgios suggested he was planning to make a rare appearance in the French Open this year, but those plans may have to put on hold.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up is recovering from knee surgery that ruled him out of the Australian Open in January and his hopes of a quick comeback appear to have been forlorn.

The Aussie showman was hoping to play at the Indian Wells and Miami Open Masters series events last month, as he targeted a rapid return to action.

Yet those plans had to be shelved and there is no sign of Kyrgios entering events during the European clay court swing that got underway in earnest in Monte Carlo this week.

Now Kyrgios has responded to questions from fans over his comeback date, as he offered this response: “Currently taking it day by day with my knee and building up load… trying to get back to where I was.”

It was an answer that did not suggest he is back in full training and he may now be turning his attention to getting ready for his comeback on his favoured grass surface.

His recovery from injury may deny Kyrgios and his girlfriend Costeen Hatzi a chance to experience a stay in Paris, after he suggested that was his primary motivation for looking to play at the French Open.

“I know I can do great results on clay,” he said. “I beat Roger (Federer), (Stan) Wawrinka, I played a final in Estoril.

“Also, my girl wants to get to know the city so I will have to go this year.”

Kygrios has been back on a practice court in recent days and has hinted he is eager to get back into competitive action, with his return certain to be a boost to the ATP Tour.

Alongside his girlfriend Costeen, Kyrgios was one of the stars of the Netflix series Break Point, which looked into life behind-the-scenes on the tennis tour.

While he has long been one of the more controversial characters in tennis, his presence boosts the profile of the sport and he is also a major threat to the top stars in the game.

Kyrgios confirmed his status as one of the best players in the world on grass courts by getting to the Wimbledon final last year, where he pushed Novak Djokovic all the way in a compelling contest on Centre Court.

While his world ranking does not suggest he is one of the best players in the game right now, many tennis observers believe Kyrgois is a top 10 player when he is fit and firing.

So he will be keen to make his mark once again at Wimbledon, where ranking points will be available this year after the All England Club decided to allow Russian and Belarusian players to compete after their ban last summer.

Meanwhile, Kygios has been putting the extra time he has on his hands to good use, after he was a groomsman for the wedding of his brother Cristos.

This was a close family affair as Nick’s sister Halimah was a bridesmaid, in images shared on Instagram.