Nick Kyrgios Amazes With Comeback In Miami To Win His First Match Since 2022
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It took some time, but Nick Kyrgios is back to winning after starting with a great comeback at the 2025 Miami Open.
It wasn't clear whether Kyrgios would appear on the tennis court for his first-round match against Mackenzie McDonald. In his last appearance, the Australian player retired in the first round of the Indian Wells Open.
It was a match during which Kyrgios shed some tears, showing how much he cares about getting back on the tennis courts. When he appeared on the practice court ahead of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Miami, it became increasingly clear that the 2022 Australian Open doubles champion would probably play at the event in Miami.
Kyrgios indeed appeared on the tennis court, but even if he hadn't been there, the outcome of the first nine points wouldn't have changed. McDonald won the first nine points of the match, and after winning 12 of the first 13, the American player was up 3-0.
It was a set of three thirds, as Kyrgios was able to start dominating in a similar way shortly after that. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist held his serve, broke back to love, and held his serve once more to make it 3-3.
McDonald then felt the pressure, and Kyrgios was close to breaking again and leading for the first time in the match when the scoreboard showed 30-30 on his opponent's serve.
But the American player started another inspired run. McDonald was able to break Kyrgios' serve once more after the Australian player double-faulted, and after serving out the set to love, he won it 6-3.
It was clear that Kyrgios wanted to keep the rallies as short as possible, which is why the first set of the match lasted only 28 minutes. The seven-time ATP titlist kept this approach in the second set as well. He started with a rapid hold to 15, firing great serves left and right.
During the match, the 29-year-old Australian went from moments of brilliance to spraying unforced errors. It's not clear whether the fact that Kyrgios wanted to keep the rallies short indicates that he played through an injury after previously retiring in Indian Wells, but at the same time, he was never a player who would enjoy playing long rallies.
After holding his serve at the start of the second set, Kyrgios got to two break points on his opponent's serve immediately after, but he couldn't use any of his chances.
McDonald tried staying solid in the rallies, always forcing his opponent to hit one more ball, and that was an approach that ultimately worked. After failing to break the American's serve, Kyrgios started to grow frustrated, voicing his dissatisfaction.
Still, Kyrgios was later able to break McDonald's serve in the best possible moment in the second set, winning it 6-3 to force a decider in Miami.
The Australian was close to breaking his opponent's serve at the start of the second set. At 1-1, he led 30-0 on McDonald's serve, but the American then won four consecutive points to win the game.
Down 2-3, the Australian player faced a break point, but that was when he turned the third set around. Kyrgios saved that break point and broke his opponent's serve in the following game to lead for the first time in the match.
Thanks to his great serve, Kyrgios was able to get across the finish line, winning the match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. It marked his first win since the 2022 Japan Open in Tokyo after losing his last four matches. In the second round, Kyrgios will play against the 22nd-seeded Karen Khachanov.
