Nick Kyrgios’ fate at the Australian Open remains unclear as the World Cup question lingers

Nick Kyrgios’ possible return to the Australian Open remains one of the biggest unanswered questions ahead of the new season. Tournament director Craig Tiley offered no guarantees regarding a wildcard entry for the former Wimbledon finalist.

The Australian has not finished since March. He scored his only win of the season in Miami before falling to Karen Khachanov in the second round. It remains the latest official match for the Canberra native.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist has played just six matches since October 2022, struggling with injuries and raising doubts about his physical preparedness and competitive sharpness.

🚨 Nick Kyrgios on the upcoming “Battle of the” against Aryna Sabalenka:

“She’s not going to beat me. Do you really think I should try 100%? <> But I’m going to try, I’ll be focused. I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say 6-2 maybe.”

📍 Must take place in 🇭🇰 Hong Kong… pic.twitter.com/SYFpsPSYr8

— Tennis Masterr (@tennismasterr) September 2, 2025

The 30-year-old fought Tommy Paul in an exhibition a few days ago. However, his path back to Melbourne Park is far from easy, at least for Tiley.

Nick’s protected ranking window has now expired. The Australian would therefore need a wildcard to secure a place in the main draw of the Australian Open. Although he is one of the biggest draws, there are no guarantees we will see him in Melbourne.

The long layoff, limited match play and uncertainty surrounding his body have all contributed to a cautious approach from the organisers. On the other hand, Kyrgios has always given his best at the home major.

We could see that in January when he fought Jacob Fearnley and refused to retire despite physical problems and fought to the end.

From a tournament perspective, Kyrgios’ presence at Melbourne Park would undoubtedly boost attention and ticket sales. However, the wildcard will depend on his fitness in the coming weeks.

Until the final decision, Australia’s most polarizing tennis star remains in limbo – hopeful, but far from certain. Nick is 17-10 at the Australian Open, reaching the quarterfinals in 2015 and has since failed to repeat that streak.

“I can’t say much about Nick at the moment – we’ll have to wait and see. He’s playing again, which is good. He’s played in a number of warm-up tournaments and I know he’s keen to compete in Australia this summer.”

This includes the Australian Open, but there is still a long way to go. If I remember correctly, he passed the protected ranking period, so he needs a wildcard to get into the draw,” said Craig Tiley.