Nick Kyrgios has told tennis fans he is back to rescue the sport from boring stars, as he insisted the tour has been worse without him during his 18-month injury hiatus.
While Kyrgios has remained outspoken on a variety of controversial topics and has returned to the Grand Slams in a broadcasting role during his injury hiatus, the Australian star boasted on Friday that “the sport has become a bit mundane.” without him.
The 29-year-old had been out of action for almost two years but returned to the ATP Tour last week, joining Novak Djokovic to play doubles, while also returning to singles at the Brisbane International.
Kyrgios, one of the sport’s great entertainers, had fans on their feet at Pat Rafter Arena last week and many were eager to see him practicing at Melbourne Park just before the Australian Open begins.
Despite that, there are still doubts over his fitness after Kyrgios announced he would not join the Serb for an exhibition doubles match on Thursday after suffering a new injury.
Kyrgios, today, said that he feels good and that he now has three days to recover before taking the field again.
Kyrgios (pictured during his practice session in Melbourne on Friday) believes the sport has taken a turn for the worse during his 18-month layoff due to injury.
Always with a controversial comment, the polarizing Australian is one of the biggest attractions of his country’s Grand Slam.
It’s fair to say that tennis without Kyrgios would be less entertaining.
“I think we watch sports because we want personalities. “I think we watch tennis too, it’s that one-on-one aspect, now training is allowed,” Kyrgios said.
“But I really enjoy tennis because it’s one on one. You had to watch that person figure it out over a period of four or five hours. You saw the amount of emotions a person goes through. It’s like drama, theater.
‘For me personally, being back, I think it adds some question marks to what’s going to happen today. I love that.
“Every time I go out on the court, I don’t know if I’m going to be super controversial in a good or bad way.
“Throughout my career, it hasn’t always been good, but it has added a lot of excitement to the game.
‘I think it’s important. There are so many good players on the tour now. I think there aren’t that many contrasting personalities.’
Kyrgios and doubles partner Novak Djokovic delighted the crowds in Brisbane on New Year’s Day, and he believes the sport needs an injection of personality.
His return to tennis in Brisbane saw Kyrgios require a medical check-up on his surgically repaired wrist, but a new injury left fans wondering if he would play at the Australian Open.
But Kyrgios believes his return is a good thing for tennis.
He will return to the Australian Open next week and face British star Jacob Fearnley.
“I think it’s healthy to be back and playing. It doesn’t really weigh on me though. I’ve always been someone who has played my style of tennis and I guess my personality hasn’t changed since I was 10. Anyone who knows me knows I’ve been just as I am now.
‘I think it’s good to be back. I think it’s important. “I think the sport was becoming a bit mundane.”
He also said some experts have underestimated how hard he has worked to get back to top shape.
‘Yes, I think I was talking about this yesterday. “I feel like when you’re injured, people think you don’t play as much tennis and you don’t do as much, but actually you’re doing a little bit more,” Kyrgios said.
‘I feel like I haven’t been out of the game. Competitively I have been, but I don’t feel that way. I feel like I’ve been playing more tennis, more than ever.
“I think I’m trying to emulate the load of the game in training, the body getting used to it again, anyone who’s had an injury that’s kept them out of the game for a year and knows that it’s very difficult to handle the load, because you.” We are trying to prepare for the intensity of the game.
Encouraged by his performances in Brisbane, Kyrgios added that
‘I think that’s what he was doing. After Brisbane, it was really encouraging. Obviously, my body was struggling a little bit. I thought, okay, I’m going to try to take advantage of that. Then, obviously, there was a little setback.
“I think it’s just part of the game. Annoyance. I don’t think anyone really feels 100 percent. Look, as long as it doesn’t become something like my wrist again, I think I can handle it.