Nick Kyrgios returns to tennis with first-round clash at Brisbane International

Nick Kyrgios thinks it’s a miracle he’s, again, playing tennis at a professional level. And Australians fans can count themselves lucky that the game’s great entertainer made it back to the top.

Australia’s greatest tennis showman is back in action but which version of Nick Kyrgios will we see this summer?

After 18 months out of the game, the one-time Wimbledon finalist’s long-awaited competitive comeback brings with it more questions than answers.

By his own admission he has only one, perhaps two, more years on the tour. It leaves little time for the 29-year-old to achieve his long-held dream of winning a grand slam title.

On the eve of his Brisbane International return, Kyrgios said he was just happy to be back doing what he sometimes loved, sometimes hated.

“I look where I was at 18 months ago and I had the surgery … I honestly never thought I’d be back playing at this level – even entering an event like this, preparing, doing the right things,’’ he said.

Nick Kyrgios attends a training session before the Brisbane International. Picture: AFP

“It was surreal to be back out there. I took it all in. I’m really excited to just go out there and just play tennis.

“I’ve seen athletes … have bad injuries, come back and everyone expects them to be back to the way they were when they were in their prime.

“I would love to be able to go out there and play the way I played in 2022, compete for grand slams. I still believe I can, whether that’s factual or not.

“There was another player who (told me), ‘You have to be realistic’. That’s not how I am. I always back my ability.

“I always go out there believing I can win. I still feel I can produce a level that’s pretty high.”

Exactly how high is a question that only time and competitive reps can answer.

His comeback from a career-threatening wrist injury has been lauded by many as a medical miracle and while what little we have seen from his groundstrokes on the practice court looks promising, the power in his serve remains a mystery.

American Frances Tiafoe (L) embraces Nick Kyrgios (R) during a training session. Picture: AFP

The best version of Kyrgios includes the top serve on the ATP Tour.

In his last full season, 2022, he was the No.2-rated server behind only John Isner – one of the top five best stand-and-deliver players of all time.

If his surgically repaired wrist can withstand the rigours of rifling 220km/h-plus serves over three sets, and then five next month, the future will feel much brighter for the Canberra native.

Thanks to the fixturing gods, we should know fairly quickly at what level Kyrgios has returned to tennis.

The monster serve of Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard awaits in the first round in Brisbane. Already, the mouth-watering match-up is being billed as a battle of the biggest serves on tour.

The last time Kyrgios played a competitive singles match, his French opponent was ranked outside the top 200.

It’s been a while since Nick Kyrgios was at the top of his game. Picture: Getty

Now, Mpetshi Perricard is on the cusp of the top 30 and rapidly rising.

One look at the draw made Kyrgios thankful he had booked the booming serve of American Reilly Opelka as a practice partner while in Brisbane.

“It was good to go right in the heat of the pace of the ATP Tour,” Kyrgios said. “He (Opelka) has one of the biggest serves.

“To test my wrist out against that … I play Perricard, arguably the biggest serve on tour (so) it was good preparation.

“I think, especially against Perricard, I could play like Roger (Federer) and still lose. I could play the worst match of my life and still lose.

“That’s the type of player he is. He takes the racquet out of your hand.

“I think I’m playing pretty good. I think I’m still able to play well.

“To expect to be the same after such a career-ending injury … (there have) been tennis players with this injury before (who have) never come back. We’ll see how it goes.”

A fit and firing Kyrgios could play a semi-final against Djokovic later in the week but he is not entertaining such a match at this stage, let alone any talk of the Australian Open.

“I haven’t thought about the Australian Open once,” he said.

“With the way my body is, with the way my wrist is, if I don’t take a day-by-day process, I won’t be able to play.

“This week I have to concentrate and be diligent with everything in my recovery. I can’t think about the Australian Open right now.”

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios returns to tennis with first-round clash at Brisbane International