Where Nick Kyrgios will start his road to the 2022 Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios has locked in where he will play his first tournament of the year ahead of the Australian Open.

Australian tennis’ natural born entertainer will launch his summer in Melbourne in two weeks’ time.

Nick Kyrgios was last on court at the Laver Cup in Boston in late September but has accepted a main draw wildcard into the ATP 250 Melbourne Summer Set event, which begins on January 4.

The 26-year-old’s ranking slipped from inside the top 50 to barely inside the top 100 this year but he remains a dangerous opponent, especially in Australia.

“Obviously, I’m excited to play at home,” Kyrgios told News Corp.

“Tennis Australia has done a great job getting things together and giving us more options to play at home before the Australian Open.

“Giving me a wildcard is awesome — I’ll do my best to put on a show for the fans.”

Kyrgios, who lost a five-set thriller to Dominic Thiem in the third round of this year’s Australian Open, has been in training since coming out of quarantine in October.

Dominic Thiem (right) needed to come from behind to survive Nick Kyrgios in five sets at this year’s Australian Open. Picture: AFP

“I feel good. A friend of mine, Dimi, has been working me out in the gym and I’ve had a few guys down from different parts of Australia hit with me over the last couple of months,” he said.

“I’m happy, I look forward to the summer in Australia and fingers crossed it all goes smoothly for everyone involved.”

Twenty-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal was supposed to headline the Melbourne field before he revealed his positive Covid-19 test on Monday night.

Nadal is now in doubt to play even at the Australian Open – but is yet to withdraw from any tournaments.

Other top-liners set to join Kyrgios in Melbourne are American giant Reilly Opelka and former top-10 stars Grigor Dimitrov, David Goffin, Kei Nishikori and Kevin Anderson.

Fellow Australians Alexei Popyrin and Jordan Thompson have also entered, while leading Australian Open wildcard contender Aleks Vukic is expected to start his year there.

Nick Kyrgios will start his tennis summer in the Melbourne Summer Set event. Picture: Getty Images

Kyrgios, who was ranked No.13 five years ago, ended his season after only eight events and having skipped the French Open.

“I need to go back home … My mum is not doing too well with her health. I’d like to go back and see her,” he said in September.

“I’m not one of those players who’s going to go hunting for points or hunting for accolades. I feel like I’ve got nothing left to prove to myself. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved.”

Kyrgios hinted it was the last time he would compete in the international teams’ event and that it was unlikely he would play tennis into his 30s.

As well as his career-high top-15 ranking, his achievements include making the quarter-finals at the 2015 Australian Open and 2014 Wimbledon, where he famously took down Nadal in a stunning upset.

Kyrgios also boasts victories over Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.