Nick Kyrgios made a comeback to tennis this year, but it wasn’t quite what many assumed it would be. Kyrgios is outspoken. There’s no other way to put it. Some people like it; others don’t, but he says a lot, and he does so proudly.
Leading up to his comeback, the Australian said a lot of things. He didn’t really hype his return as much as some might have expected, but he did drop a hint or two that he was ready and motivated to come back. All fine and dandy, but things haven’t looked that impressive so far. His first singles match of 2025 was against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, and he lost it.
He looked okay, but nothing special. His first big match was at the Australian Open, where he faced rising talent Jacob Fearnley, and he greatly disappointed in that one. It wasn’t so much that he lost; it was mostly how he lost. He didn’t look dangerous at all, barely creating any chances until an inspiring run in the final set.
Fearnley, to his credit, played pretty great. But aside from not playing well, Kyrgios spent a lot of time complaining to his box about some sort of physical issue. After missing over a year of tennis due to physical problems, that’s the last thing many fans wanted to see.
His inability to stay healthy seems to weigh heavily on his mind as well. A rather dejected Kyrgios spoke openly during the post-match press conference, admitting that it might have been his final match at the event ever.
“Realistically, I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again,” he said. “It’s hard. When you’re competing in the biggest tournaments in the world and you’re struggling to win sets physically, it’s pretty tough. But I’ve still got a long year ahead. I’m trusting the process that I can still be able to do some cool things this year at some stage.”
His comments are rather grim, but it’s understandable. He just came back, and there was an expectation that things would go smoothly, and then, in his first big match back, he goes down with another injury. As he said, he can’t expect to do much on the Tour if he can’t stay healthy.
Does this mean he’ll retire from the sport? It might, but ultimately it’s impossible to know what Kyrgios is up to. The fun in following the 29-year-old is that you never know what he’s going to do and what he’s up to. He might just call it quits after this season even if he’s healthy.
He might not be healthy and retire because of that. Or he might continue to try and come back despite not being healthy. There is no way to know for sure, but there are some clues that paint a clear picture. If he was willing to put himself through this long of a recovery process to get back to tennis, then it kind of seems unlikely that he’s going to give up that easily.
He’s not that old by today’s standards, only turning 30 in April. With all the resources he has at his disposal, he can push himself for at least two or three more years. Will he have the motivation to do so? Probably not, but 2025 might not be the final time we see him on the court, unless he continues to have health issues that make it impossible for him to play.
After all, there doesn’t seem to be a lack of competitive spirit in him. He was very fiery when talking about Jannik Sinner during the offseason. In fact, his comments surrounding the Italian have landed him in multiple headlines over recent months.
Kyrgios took exception to Sinner’s two failed drug tests, which the 23-year-old was found at no fault over. Kyrgios even made a grand proclamation that he would make a match against Sinner an absolute riot if he got to play him. He didn’t get to play him in Melbourne because he was beaten early, but you’d think that a man who talks like that wouldn’t give up that easily.
Yes, he has a moody personality, so reactions like this aren’t new. This is the man who said after losing Wimbledon that he was basically done with tennis, and then he gets injured and spends a really long time trying to get back to the sport he supposedly hates.
The bottom line is that nothing Kyrgios says guarantees anything. He said he would have made it a riot against Sinner, but in reality, he likely wouldn’t have. He says he’s going to retire after this year, but in reality, he probably won’t.
He said he wouldn’t be playing until he’s 35, and that’s one thing we can believe because in reality, he doesn’t need to. He’s done enough, he’s earned money, and his public profile will allow him to stay relevant one way or another.
Nick Kyrgios hasn’t changed in 10 years, so don’t expect him to change now. If you want to know what’s next, you’re going to have to watch the show. One day at a time.