Nick Kyrgios admits he’s not able to play singles on the Australian Open and can as an alternative deal with the doubles occasion alongside his companion Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The Australian posted introduced on social media that he had “made the decision to deal with doubles” and was “not fairly able to go the space” in singles.
Damage-plagued Kyrgios, who misplaced the primary spherical of the Brisbane Worldwide earlier this week has performed simply six official singles matches within the final three years. He had been hoping for a late wildcard at Melbourne Park, which begins on January 18.
Highlights of Nick Kyrgios up towards Aleksandar Kovacevic on the Brisbane Worldwide
The 30-year-old has suffered numerous accidents to his wrist and knees since 2022 when he made the ultimate at Wimbledon and misplaced to Novak Djokovic.
“After some good conversations with (Tennis Australia), I’ve made the decision to deal with doubles at this yr’s AO,” he wrote.
“I am match and again on court docket, however five-setters are a unique beast and I am not fairly able to go the space but.
“This event means every part to me, however I might reasonably give my spot to somebody who’s able to make their second depend.
“It is all constructing blocks and I will be again subsequent yr and pumped to compete.”
His singles conflict with little-known American Aleksandar Kovacevic in Brisbane was his first since March.
Kyrgios defeated world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka of their controversial ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in Dubai
Kyrgios, who’s ranked down at 670, has been a outstanding determine on the exhibition circuit over the past month, not least together with his victory over Aryna Sabalenka of their ‘Battle of the Sexes’ conflict in Dubai, however he couldn’t replicate that on house soil, shedding out 6-3 6-4.
He plans to play males’s doubles alongside Kokkinakis on the Australian Open, the place they gained the title in 2022.
Dubbed the ‘Particular Ks’, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis reprised their partnership by profitable their opening match on the Brisbane Worldwide this week.
Kyrgios by chance hit a ball child with a forehand drive throughout his doubles return with Kokkinakis in Brisbane.
It was the primary match on the ATP tour in 167 days for Kyrgios, whereas Kokkinakis performed for the primary time since struggling a pectoral damage in January 2025.
The pair beat Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram 5-7 6-4 10-8 earlier than shedding within the second spherical to Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.
“This can be a stepping stone,” Kyrgios stated. “I really simply spoke to Daniil Medvedev within the locker room, and he is like, ‘look, you play one match now and again, it is not going to be the best way you need it on a regular basis’.
“So long as I really feel good and I am going to have the ability to try to use it as a constructing block, that is my aim clearly, and never simply Australian Open however this yr, for no matter this yr holds, I do wish to proceed to play as a lot as I can.”
Thanasi Kokkinakis received emotional after a profitable return to the doubles court docket with Kyrgios…
‘Battle of the Sexes was pointless with girls’s tennis taking successful’
Gigi Salmon stated ‘Battle of the Sexes’ was “win, win” for Kyrgios
Sky Sports activities’ presenter Gigi Salmon was critical of ‘Battle of the Sexes’ clash in her column, saying it was an opportunity for Kyrgios to remain “related”.
She stated: “For Kyrgios it was simpler to see why he would agree, out of the highlight and with simply 5 matches to his identify in 2025, with just one aggressive match win because the finish of 2022, largely attributable to damage and sitting at 671 on the planet it was an opportunity to remain related.”
Salmon added: “The explanation I referred to as it pointless when requested for my ideas on it, was I noticed it as solely lose, lose for Sabalenka, win the match and congratulations you’ve got overwhelmed the world No 671, who has hardly performed in latest occasions, lose and ‘oh expensive the ladies’s world No 1 has simply misplaced to the world No 671, who solely performed 5 matches with one win all yr’.
“For Kyrgios it is win, win – lose and he says he wasn’t meant to win he has hardly performed, win which he did and have a look at me I’ve hardly performed but I’ve overwhelmed the most effective girls’s participant on the planet.
“Whereas within the short-term girls’s tennis took successful, with all these ‘new’ followers they needed to carry into tennis questioning how does somebody who has hardly performed all yr beat and beat convincingly the most effective participant in girls’s tennis and what does that say in regards to the girls’s sport?
“I believe folks will transfer on and be joyful to take action. Girls’s tennis rightly led by Sabalenka is in an important place proper now, so whereas folks might query her motives, I do not consider that any main hurt has been finished.”
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