Love him or hate him, Nick Kyrgios rarely fails to raise the roof at the Australian Open.
His participation in this year’s tournament, however, is in grave doubt.
The Sporting News takes a look at Kyrgios’ status ahead of the first grand slam event of 2024.
Will Nick Kyrgios play Australian Open 2024?
It is looking increasingly unlikely Nick Kyrgios will be fit enough to play in Australian Open 2024 – which commences January 14.
The Australian hasn’t played a professional tennis match since June, losing in straight sets to Wu Yibing at the Stuttgart Open.
He has struggled with wrist and knee injuries this season, with his last grand slam tournament match a quarter-final defeat to Karen Khachanov at the US Open in 2022.
Speaking in late November, Australian Open tournament boss Craig Tiley wouldn’t commit to Kyrgios playing at Melbourne Park next year.
:We have spoken to Nick, and he obviously wants to do the best he possibly can to give him the best chance to play in January … Nick’s position will be determined closer to the event,” Tiley said.
“I think whatever gets him the best chance to progress during the year … we have wildcard exchanges with the French and Wimbledon, so there’s an opportunity to really help an Australian player not just have one tournament to go into but several, so we’ll weigh that all up to make a decision – we’ve got wildcards to do that.
“Whether he’s playing, whether he’s doing something else, Nick will be here in January and to get him to play will be great, but we’ve got to take it as it comes and he’s got to take care of his health … because he’s not just got January, he’s got the entire year (ahead) too.”
These quotes from Tiley are a significant change of tack from his positivity in October about Kyrgios’ Australian Open availability.
“I personally believe in the communication that he’s motivated to come back and play in January,” Tiley said at the Australian Open launch.
“He loves playing here … in front of his crowd. He knows everyone wants him to play.
“The one thing great about Nick, [is] he’s very transparent and very open about what he’s feeling and what he thinks.”
Are Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis playing doubles at Australian Open 2024?
The odds of Kyrgios participating in the doubles draw are fairly slim, with the Australian likely to focus on his singles tennis as he returns from injury.
Unless the 28-year-old returns to the court promptly and rebuilds his fitness, Thanasi Kokkinakis will need to find a different partner for the event.
In 2022, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis became the first wildcard duo in the open era to lift the Australian Open men’s doubles trophy.
Following their unlikely run, the ‘Special Ks’ continued to play together for the remainder of the season.
They picked up a total of 19 wins from the eight tournaments they participated in during 2022, which saw them compete in their first-ever ATP Finals.
When is Australian Open 2024?
Australian Open 2024 will commence on Sunday, January 14 and become a 15-day event for the first time, finishing on Sunday, January 28.