‘Shut people up’: Nick Kyrgios announces big comeback news

Nick Kyrgios has revealed a personal grudge is behind the news he’s dropped that has got the tennis world talking.

Nick Kyrgios has confirmed he will end his time in the tennis wilderness at the World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi in December.

The Australian recently teased he was plotting his return and he’s now locked in to make a run for the 2025 Australian Open.

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The 29-year-old has played just one match on the ATP Tour since October, 2022, as he battled serious knee and wrist injures which had many fans questioning if he’d ever be back.

However, it is the aim of “shutting people up” that is driving his return to the court.

The former world No. 13 has hinted at retirement several times, but told News Corp’s Code Sports on Monday he will be back on Tour in December.

“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game,” he said.

“I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money.

“But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.

“That’ll be my deep motivation.”

Nick Kyrgios and Costeen Hatzi. Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage.

Kyrgios, who has worked as a commentator during his absence, reached his maiden singles Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2022, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.

He was never able to go further in an era dominated by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, coupled with his sometimes fragile temperament that saw some pundits write him off as a wasted talent.

But with Nadal announcing his retirement last week and Djokovic now 37, Kyrgios believes the game is “the most open it has ever been”.

Kyrgios has always been combustible and earned a reputation for outbursts and meltdowns on court early in his career, but he denied he was “a bad boy”.

“I guess I was branded that just because I was a bit outside the circle of what a normal tennis player is,” he said.

“I don’t think I carry that perception with the Aussie public anymore. But at the start of my career, people thought I was like a murderer.”

He went on to say he has “one or two” more years before retirement.

“I’m far from done to be honest,” he said.

“I’m in the later stages of my career but I still have one or two years left… I’m feeling extremely well.

Nick Kyrgios interviews Coco Gauff at the 2024 Aussie Open. Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images.

“I’m hitting for around three hours every day now. My wrist from surgery has completely healed and I’m feeling motivated.”

Australian Open boss Craig Tiley said last week he expect Kyrgios to play at the Aussie Open.

Aussie great Lleyton Hewitt said Kyrgios faces the “biggest challenge he’s ever faced” to return to his best.

The tournament director was unsure whether Kyrgios would seek entry with a protected ranking but said he would otherwise be given a wildcard into the main draw.

“We would love to have Nick back playing in 2025. We believe he will be – he’s out there practising and playing,” Tiley said.

The 2022 Wimbledon final was a long time ago. Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images.

“I’ve been in touch with his team in the last couple of days, and he’s fully expecting to play. We expect to see Nick on the court, playing.”

Hewitt said Kyrgios was facing a massive challenge to get back to his blistering best after almost two full years out of the game.

“He’s still got to get over the niggles obviously, and even when you start to up your practice, you’ve (got to) be able to push through those setbacks as well,” Hewitt said.

“That’s how it’s going to be for the couple of months leading in … he’s going to have to try and play as many practice sets (as possible) because going into a grand slam best-of-five sets and not hoping just to go through one round either.

“Wimbledon, I saw Nick hitting with a lot of the guys over there, and the US Open he was hitting on an indoor court next to Thanasi and myself one day, so he’s certainly doing a lot more stuff … it’s just whether the body can hold up.

“It’s probably the biggest challenge he’s ever faced. The game keeps improving, the guys keep taking it to new levels as well, and for him to come in and try to play, there’s going to be a lot of guys who are able to push him.”

— with AFP

Originally published as ‘Shut people up’: Nick Kyrgios announces big comeback news