Nick Kyrgios has countered recent claims about retirement by promising his fans that he would return to competitive action once he has recovered from injuries.
Kyrgios is currently rehabilitating from knee and wrist injuries that have scuppered his comeback plans. The flamboyant Australian played just one match in the last 12 months as he was forced to watch his peers from the sideline.
Last November, Kyrgios admitted that the stars would have to "align" for him to make his playing return. Having grown increasingly frustrated with the length of the recovery process, Kyrgios sat down for an interview with award-winning podcast host Jay Shetty a few weeks later. He admitted he didn't want to play anymore.
This week, Kyrgios generated social media buzz in the tennis world when he wrote in a column published in The Syndey Morning Herald, claiming that his career is at a "crossroads" and that he was excited about life after tennis.
Kyrgios woke up to plenty of rumors circulating on the Internet in which he felt the words were taken out of context. The 28-year-old took to Instagram to shed light on his comeback plans and that he was still contemplating playing the sport again.
"Hi guys, I've woken up today, and I realized some articles going round saying that I'm retired and that I'm not going to play anymore. I want to clear it up that it is absolute nonsense. Yes, the last year has been tough with injuries, my knee, my wrist."
"But I'm as hungry as ever, constantly rehabbing at the gym. Part of the reason I'm commentating and doing all these things around AO is to feel still that fire and be part of it. So i want to let my fans know, I'm coming back, stay tuned. There is still plenty left in the tank."
After withdrawing from the tournament last month, Kyrgios is currently working as a commentator and analyst for Eurosport at this year's Australian Open. He clarified on air that he was interviewed with the publication instead of writing the column himself.
"If you think for a second that I'm in my room doing something like that, that's insane. It's not the first time that I've said something out my mouth and the media tends to spin it and do it for clicks. I'm not new to it, but that's why today I had to clear it up."