Kyrgios Expects Not 'Too Many Happy Faces' In Locker Room When He Returns

Nick Kyrgios will return to the ATP Tour in 2025, and the Australian does not think many of his fellow players are happy about that news.

Kyrgios has only played one match in the last two years. That came at the 2023 Stuttgart Open, but there is finally light at the end of the tunnel for him after that very long and frustrating absence.

The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up will play at the Brisbane International in preparation for his first Grand Slam appearance at the Australian Open since losing a thrilling five-set battle against Karen Khachanov in the 2022 US Open quarterfinal.

Kyrgios has been sidelined for such a lengthy period by severe wrist and ankle injuries. The wrist issue has been especially problematic and it seemed like he might never return to the sport.

He eventually underwent a wrist reconstruction. Although the surgeon warned him that he only had about a 15% chance of returning to tennis afterward, the surgery succeeded, and Kyrgios will now make a comeback in 2025.

Before his injury, the 29-year-old was probably the most controversial player in the sport. Kyrgios' antics on the court received a polarized reaction. Some loved his personality, while others found him to be a bad role model.

One particularly notable incident was Kyrgios making an outrageous sledge to Stan Wawrinka about Thanasi Kokkinakis allegedly having relations with his girlfriend at the 2015 Canadian Open, saying, "Kokkinakis ba***d your girlfriend, sorry to tell you that mate."

Although he apologized at the time, Kyrgios did not feel guilty about the incident in retrospect. He told the Louis Theroux Podcast that it was good old-fashioned trash talk and accused Wawrinka of trying to hit him in the head with a ball.

Incidents like that might explain why some players do not like Kyrgios. Speaking to the AO Show, the seven-time ATP title winner admitted that many are not fans of him and doubts they will be happy to see him back because of his personality and his ability on the court.

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There are certainly much friendlier relations between top players now than in the past. For example, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner get along well off the court compared to others in the sport's history, such as when Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic used to have a frosty relationship.

Fans will have differing views on whether Kyrgios is right about more tension between players being a good thing. One man the Australian is inspired by is the recently retired Dominic Thiem, who returned from a severe wrist issue before calling time on his career.

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