Nick Kyrgios was back on the tennis court in front of the Australian fans for the first time in nearly two years. After dealing with a knee injury and a serious wrist injury that required surgery and over a year of recuperation, it was great to see Kyrgios back playing singles.
He drew a tough opponent for his Brisbane International first-round match. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard is a 6’8″, 21-year-old Frenchman ranked World No. 31.
The two players put on a serving showcase; neither could break the other’s serve. The three sets came down to tiebreakers with Mpetshi Perricard winning the first and third sets.
Jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, awesome tennis from @NickKyrgios!
There was only one option for our @EvieNetworks point of the day… if you haven’t seen it, you’ll soon understand.#BrisbaneTennis pic.twitter.com/ghqc9l1aRK
— Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) December 31, 2024
Kyrgios dealt with wrist pain during the match but hung in and gave the fans a fun one to watch. He received thunderous applause when he left the court. Kyrgios is still alive in the doubles event with his partner Novak Djokovic.
Good to see you back, @NickKyrgios #BrisbaneInternational pic.twitter.com/Wfr2yzamay
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) December 31, 2024
While this should have been the story, Kyrgios dealt World No. 1 Jannik Sinner yet another insult in his post-match press comments that became the story.
What Nick Kyrgios Said
Despite losing the match, Kyrgios said he had not failed a doping test. He has been the most vocal about Sinner’s failed doping tests in 2024. Sinner failed two tests after his physio used an Italian first aid spray containing a banned substance to repair his hand before working on Sinner’s skin. Sinner is still dealing with this as the World Anti-Doping Agency will reportedly review his case in 2025.
Nick Kyrgios on Jannik Sinner “I’m not gonna shut up about it” pic.twitter.com/pZ16eU42Gx
— asud (@asud683385) December 29, 2024
Kyrgios is a good tennis player who is entertaining on the court and at his best, he is very hard to beat.
Tennis’s anti-doping rules and penalties are ambiguous, and Kyrgios obviously has no plans to stop talking about all of it.
