Nick Kyrgios confirms his comeback in 2026, potentially his final career attempt

Nick Kyrgios will participate in one of the most watched tennis showdowns of 2025 — next week in Dubai, he will engage in a “gender battle” against Aryna Sabalenka, and he has confirmed that this encounter will serve as the start of his professional tennis comeback.

Since his impressive advance to the Wimbledon final in 2022, where he was defeated by Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios has been plagued by injuries, preventing him from competing regularly.

Injuries to his wrist and knee have severely disrupted his career plans, with comeback attempts at the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July last year both halted due to recurring issues.

Now Kyrgios has received a wildcard for the Brisbane ATP 250 event, fully dedicating himself to preparing for a full-time return to the tennis circuit.

He also competed in this tournament last year, battling Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in a tight three-set match but ultimately losing; afterward, physical discomfort dashed his hopes of returning at the Australian Open.

Recently, Kyrgios revealed that his persistent knee problem has healed, expressing great optimism:

“I can’t say if it’s a miracle or something else, but my knee feels years younger,” Kyrgios told the Australian Associated Press in an interview,

“Over the past month, it somehow improved; last night during conversations with my masseur and physiotherapist, we realized the knee is completely different now — no more swelling and no discomfort after training. Returning to the court has revitalized me. Honestly, I’m in excellent shape now and have been training hard physically.”

Kyrgios hopes to secure a wildcard for the Australian Open, but tournament director Craig Tiley stated that a decision will be made only after the Australian player confirms he is fit to compete in Melbourne.

When asked about granting Kyrgios a wildcard, Tiley responded: “It’s hard to say; we need to wait and see. It’s great that he’s back on the court and playing warm-up matches. I know he wants to perform well in this summer’s tournaments. If he wants to play summer events, naturally, he also wants to play the Australian Open. But there are still many details to work out. His protected ranking has long expired, so in my view, he must rely on a wildcard to enter.”

After three years of battling injuries, this is likely Kyrgios’s last chance to break into the top tier of men’s tennis. The demands of professional competition, requiring multiple matches in succession, will put his physical endurance to a serious test.

Some say Kyrgios is the most talented tennis player of the past two decades after Federer, and I strongly agree. Certainly, he has flaws and psychological challenges, but he is not lacking kindness and sincerity. Perhaps these qualities are why many people admire him.

He greatly admires Federer’s tennis skills; he showed goodwill by putting aside differences when Djokovic was in trouble; he highly praises Murray’s integrity; and he ultimately respects Nadal’s achievements. Hopefully, he still has opportunities to showcase his tennis talent.

Next week’s highly discussed gender battle in Dubai, where Kyrgios faces Sabalenka, will attract global attention; if all goes well, this match will be the starting point for his return to the major tennis stages in the coming months.

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