Determined Australian Nick Kyrgios is set to stage a comeback in December in Abu Dhabi, aiming to silence his critics and clinch a Grand Slam title.
The former world No. 13 has competed in only a single ATP Tour singles match over the past two years due to persistent knee, foot and wrist injuries.
At 29, Kyrgios has contemplated retirement on multiple occasions. However, in an interview with News Corp’s Code Sports on Monday, he confirmed his participation in the World Tennis League event this December, paving the way for a strong challenge at the Australian Open in January.
“I am coming back because something is keeping me around the game,” he said.
“I have beaten pretty much every person that has been put in front of me, made a final of a Grand Slam, won a doubles title in a Grand Slam, won multiple titles and made money.
“But I think the one thing that is now on my target is a Grand Slam. I think that will be the only thing that will shut people up at the end of the day.
“That’ll be my deep motivation.”
Kyrgios, who has worked as a commentator during his absence, reached his maiden singles Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2022, losing in four sets to Novak Djokovic.
He was unable to advance further in an era dominated by Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, along with his sometimes fragile temperament, which led some pundits to write him off as a wasted talent.
However, with Nadal announcing his retirement last week and Djokovic now 37, Kyrgios believes the game is “the most open it has ever been.”
Kyrgios has always been combustible and earned a reputation for outbursts and meltdowns on the court early in his career, but he denied he was “a bad boy.”
“I guess I was branded that just because I was a bit outside the circle of what a normal tennis player is,” he said.
“I don’t think I carry that perception with the Aussie public anymore. But at the start of my career, people thought I was like a murderer.”
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