Medical expertise, self-confidence, and a clandestine surgery—these were the secret ingredients that reignited the fire within Nick Kyrgios. The Australian tennis maverick was facing severe wrist arthritis that prohibited him from doing even the simplest of things. His condition was such that he even failed to open the door of a car without experiencing pain. This caused many in the tennis community to think that the Australian will never be able to return to the courts and will eventually retire from the sport. However, the star player defied all odds and is now expecting to hit the balls once again. 

In a recent interaction with The Canberra Times, Kyrgios opened up about his desire to return to the sport. “This has been a really challenging time – the hardest of my career.” Elaborating further, he revealed the challenge he has given to himself amid the speculations from the masses. “People aren’t expecting me to come back, especially after an injury like this, so I would love to do that and play again.” This sentiment reveals the determination of the tennis player who was once considered to be in a very bad condition.

Interacting with the same publication, Kyrgios’ surgeon Dr Michael Sandow revealed the help he extended to his patient. “He was quite disabled when I first saw him. Now he’s playing tennis again. If you talk to anyone in the wrist specialist world they would be quite amazed.” He further explained that the procedure takes around 12 months but Kyrgios picked up the racquet in just 9 months. However, reaching this stage and eyeing a comeback was filled with risks.

Nick Kyrgios underwent a ‘secret’ surgery in the basement of the Calvary Adelaide Hospital after coming to terms that while the procedure can heal him, it may result in his permanent retirement as well. The Australian, who started to face the problem ever since he fell in a match against Grigor Dimitrov at Indian Wells back in 2015 and sprained his wrist, eventually agreed to take the risk. This, however, is not the first time when the 2022 Wimbledon finalist expressed his desire to hit the courts again.

The 29-year-old had only played one ATP match since 2022. His last competitive match was in June 2023, when he lost to China’s Wu Yibing in Stuttgart. He underwent a knee surgery in January 2023 but what continued to bother him was his wrist. However, speaking to the Australian Open Show Podcast, Kyrgios expressed his hope of reigniting his career. “I’ve had some really hard conversations with myself, if I want to keep doing this.” Continuing further, he shared that the fire within him is burning still. “So I know there’s still fire in the belly, which is good, it’s healthy.”

Nick Kyrgios’ absence has led his fans to often question his return. While many were of the view that the former World No. 13 will never hit the courts again, he is all set to return to London in a new role. 

Nick Kyrgios will appear at Wimbledon in a different role

Kyrgios will attend Wimbledon this year, but only as a commentator for the BBC. He continues to build up his fitness ahead of a long-awaited comeback to tennis. This was also confirmed indirectly by the star player in April this year. 

The Australian player has conducted several Instagram lives to talk about his comeback and answer several other burning questions. In the process, when one fan asked about his return, he expressed doubt. ‘I’m not sure yet man,’ he said. However, he confirmed that he would be there to execute a different task. “..but I will be there because I’m doing some stuff there.’

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if Nick Kyrgios can once again hit the courts in the same previous style to begin the 2.0 version of his career.