‘I feel like I’m enjoying more tennis a little bit now,’ Nick Kyrgios says of Australian Open return

Tennis star Nick Kyrgios has revealed his battles with depression, alcohol and injury have fuelled the comeback he hopes will win over the public and allow him to reach his full potential.

Colourful Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios wants the home crowd in his corner as he embarks on his grand slam comeback at the Australian Open.

Kyrgios, 29, will take to John Cain Arena on Monday night for his first grand slam match in more than two years, having recovered from career-threatening wrist and knee injuries.

In an exclusive interview with the Herald Sun, Wimbledon finalist Kyrgios declared he would feed off the energy of a parochial Melbourne Park crowd as he stepped back into the spotlight.

And he revealed his battles with depression, alcohol and injury had fuelled the comeback he hoped would win over the public and allow him to reach his full potential.

Nick Kyrgios says he will feed off the energy of a parochial Melbourne Park crowd. Picture: Mark Stewart

“Aussies just want winners,’’ Kyrgios said.

“If you lose they are not happy – especially with me – and if they win they love you and especially on that arena. So it’s going to be pretty cool.’’

Kyrgios opened up on the torment of alcohol addiction and depression that had threatened to derail his career.

DRUGS AND DEPRESSION

“I was to a point where I couldn’t drink or drug correctly at all,’’ he said.

“I couldn’t even go to a little function and have one (drink).

“It was out of control, so I think just having someone genuine (to talk to) and not blocking people out is a massive one. And you can’t do things on your own.’’

His advice to anyone having similar problems was simple.

“Just for them to know this is a brutal time to be growing up in, and there is a lot of s--t going on,’’ he said.

Kyrgios says his battle with alcohol addiction was ‘out of control’. Picture: Getty

“I think people get really internal and they try and take on their problems on their own. With social media, they are always comparing and it just becomes a bit of a rat race in your mind.

“You’ve got so much to deal with – it could be work, it could be relationships, it might be family issues – and then things just pile and pile and pile.

“Then you look for outlets and they are usually the worst ones.

“They (substances) are so accessible so I can completely understand how you go down that path and it’s completely OK if you start to go down that path.

“But realise that it’s not going to fix anything that is building up in you.

“Talk to your family and talk to your good friends.’’

Kyrgios has battled injuries. Picture: Michael Klein

Kyrgios will play British world No.86 Jacob Fearnley in Monday night’s first round as he starts the long road back in a career that has earnt him more than $20m in prizemoney and a best international ranking of 13 in 2016.

He pledged there would be “no more clowning around” as he hustled to make the most of a career stacked with attitude and ability but so far devoid of grand slam glory.

And he said time away from the game, as well as the amount of treatment, physiotherapy and training he had endured, meant he had been “more dedicated, more than ever, probably the last year and a half”.

“I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I’m enjoying more tennis a little bit now.’’

While he would never be happy to lose, Kyrgios said was happy just being back on court.

“I’m even enjoying my practice sessions,’’ he said.

“I’m very intentional with what I’m doing on court, and I know that I just can’t be clowning around anymore with my wrist.

“I feel good and I feel like I’m enjoying my tennis.’’

Before this summer’s Brisbane International, Kyrgios had not played a match of tournament tennis since June 2023.

He made headlines at that event for savaging the decision of tennis authorities to allow defending AO champion Jannik Sinner to play despite twice testing positive to doping last year.

Rather than backing down, he told the Herald Sun: “I’m a big for-the-people guy.

“I genuinely care about the future of our sport as well.

“You don’t factually want our sport to be covered with people who use performance-enhancing drugs.

”It’s that simple and it’s why we have these rules in place.”

Kyrgios has savaged the decision of tennis authorities to allow Jannik Sinner to play. Picture: Mark Stewart

SENSE ON SINNER

The Canberra born and bred winner of seven singles titles said Sinner should have been forced to sit out the AO ahead of a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing in April into his positive tests to the banned anabolic steroid clostebol in March last year.

“If you’re being investigated for performance-enhancing drugs, you should not be

able to play while that investigation is under way,’’ he said.

“That makes no sense to me. Because how can you earn money, earn sponsorship, raise trophies?

“It’s not the fact I’m not with Sinner in this whole thing. It’s just like, how can anyone hear these facts and be like ‘no, he should be allowed to play’.

“How are you saying that? It doesn’t make any sense.

“And if I was in that position I would be like ‘you know what, it sucks, but I’m under investigation for a performance drug’ so I wouldn’t be acting like the victim in the whole thing.”

While the tennis world may have huge expectations of a player who can divide the public with his personality but also undoubtedly puts bums on courtside seats, Kyrgios wants to temper that enthusiasm a little.

“I just know with the way that my wrist is, it has to be a day by day process,’’ he said.

“Look, I’ve done everything I can now.

“Let’s just say I’ve put myself in a position to play the Aussie summer and then I will probably reconvene my team and say ‘this is how it felt’. And let’s see what we can do moving forward.”

Originally published as ‘I feel like I’m enjoying more tennis a little bit now,’ Nick Kyrgios says of Australian Open return