Kyrgios’ comeback hopes took a hit in Brisbane.
Nick Kyrgios exited the Brisbane International in straight sets, a loss that raises fresh questions about his fitness, his form and whether Tennis Australia will hand the mercurial home favourite a main-draw wildcard at Melbourne Park.
Brisbane Reality Check
“To be honest, I was expecting a little more than that in terms of adversity today,”
Aleksandar Kovacevic
Aleksandar Kovacevic, the American ranked 58, dispatched Kyrgios 6-3, 6-4 in roughly 66 minutes, conceding no break-point opportunities and producing a tidy, athletic display that underlined how far Kyrgios’ singles level has drifted.
Kyrgios cut a visibly battered figure, wearing an ankle brace, a taped wrist and a small plaster on his face while wincing and clutching his right elbow during the match as his mobility and return game looked compromised at several key moments.
The packed Pat Rafter Arena had hoped his first singles ATP Tour match since March might kickstart a comeback after a promising doubles showing, but the straight-sets defeat instead reinforced organisers’ reluctance to slot him straight into the Melbourne Park main draw.
Wildcard Uncertainty
With just three men’s singles wildcards still available, Tennis Australia faces a difficult calculation about whether Kyrgios’ box-office appeal outweighs the clear fitness doubts following knee and wrist surgeries and a heavily limited match schedule.
He has played only 5 ATP Tour matches in 2025 and has not been a regular on tour in almost a year, and those facts will loom large as officials decide whether to protect the draw or reward the spectacle he brings.
Kyrgios himself gave a stark assessment after a 2025 first-round loss when he admitted: “Realistically, I probably can’t see myself playing a singles match here again.” That line will not have reassured selectors considering best-of-five demands at a Grand Slam.
He still has doubles duties in Brisbane alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis and an exhibition at Kooyong next week, and he has said he would be prepared to enter Australian Open qualifying if a main-draw wildcard is not offered.
What It Means For The Summer
For Tennis Australia, Kyrgios presents both a headache and an opportunity: his presence boosts attention, but it also raises questions about how Opening Week should be balanced between competitive integrity and entertainment value for local fans.
This year’s Opening Week innovations include the One Point Slam that offers $1m and a single-point knockout format, an event the organisers hope will broaden the spectacle and where a mercurial figure like Kyrgios could draw eyeballs even without main-draw singles action.
Once a Wimbledon finalist and a seven-time tour winner, the 30-year-old now sits around 670 in the rankings after a string of injuries and sporadic appearances, a steep fall from the top-15 form that once made him a genuine Grand Slam threat.
If Kyrgios can produce even a few competitive matches, perhaps in qualifying or early rounds, organisers could turn what would otherwise be two weeks of elite tennis into a three-week festival that mixes sport and entertainment for local crowds.
Sabalenka, who faced Kyrgios in the Battle of the Sexes exhibition, defended the experiment and said: “When you play against a guy, the intensity is completely different,” arguing the match was a fitness test and a crowd-pleasing challenge rather than a serious ranking event.
Kyrgios’ Brisbane defeat leaves his singles trajectory cloudy, but his doubles, exhibitions and willingness to consider qualifying mean he will remain present in the conversation as organisers and fans debate whether his profile should trump his current form.
Join the conversation on Facebook.
Christoph Friedrich is a German tennis player and coach currently residing in Oakland, California. He began his tennis journey at the age of eight and has since dedicated his life to the sport. After working as a tennis coach and hitting partner in New York City for eight years, Christoph decided to share his knowledge and experience with tennis players around the world by creating the My Tennis Expert blog. His goal is to make tennis education accessible to everyone and help players select the best equipment for their game, from racquets and strings to shoes and overgrips. Christoph's extensive research and expertise in tennis technology make him a valuable resource for players of all levels.
