Nick Kyrgios's return to professional tennis announced for 2026 tournament

Nick Kyrgios's ATP career is officially not over after an event in his native Australia announced he will appear there.

In 2025, Kyrgios attempted a return to professional tennis after a two-year absence, aside from a failed comeback at the 2023 Halle Open. It was painfully evident that his knee and wrist were not ready during his appearance in Halle.

The controversial Australian showed flashes of brilliance during his contests in the opening months of 2025. They included beating Mackenzie McDonald at the 2025 Miami Open and being competitive against Jack Draper and Karen Khachanov.

Unfortunately, Kyrgios's wrist remained a significant problem. He was in visible pain during every match, and it became swiftly apparent that the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up's stated goal of winning a Grand Slam to silence his critics was not going to happen.

Kygios's last professional singles appearance was his loss against Khachanov at the 2025 Miami Open in March. Some fans wondered whether the 30-year-old had thrown in the towel and accepted that his wrist made it too challenging to compete properly.

Instead, Kyrgios is scheduled to play at the 2026 Brisbane International, scheduled from January 5th to 11th. That was revealed in a video released on the tournament's social media pages, which can be watched at the end of this article.

The event did not state whether Kyrgios would play in singles, doubles, or both. However, all the footage of him in the video was from singles action, which might indicate they are hoping he steps onto the court individually.

Kyrgios's injury record might make the ambiguity deliberate. The Australian deciding closer to the tournament that he can only play in doubles is undoubtedly possible. Not being specific gives the Brisbane International room to be flexible.

Throughout 2025, Kyrgios spoke about playing WTA world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in an exhibition. A date of December 28th in Dubai was eventually announced last month, with both players outlining their excitement.

The match revives the famous Battle of the Sexes concept. There have been a few such contests, but the most famous by far was Billie Jean King's defeat of Bobby Riggs in 1973, a landmark moment in mainstreaming women's tennis.

Sabalenka's decision to face Kyrgios has drawn mixed reactions. Some argue that the attention generated by the match will be good for the WTA Tour, since those not currently watching it will be exposed to the No. 1-ranked female player.

Others are concerned that women's tennis will be undermined if Sabalenka is comfortably defeated by a man who has barely played in recent years because of injuries, and with expected rule changes to favor the Belarusian further.

Sabalenka believes the situation is a win/win, and argues that Kyrgios faces all the pressure because most will expect him to triumph. The four-time Grand Slam champion remains convinced she can compete with him.

How the match pans out and the fallout from it will be fascinating to observe. Both players are undoubtedly set to earn a lot of money just for appearing.