Tennis fans have been told not to write off Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open (Image: Getty)
is preparing to make a comeback on home soil. The 29-year-old will return at the Brisbane International before heading to the Australian Open.
The Australian has played just one match in the last two years after being sidelined by knee and wrist injuries. But he faces some pressure, as Pat Rafter believes Kyrgios is capable of winning.
However, the former No. 1 also launched a confusing argument about Kyrgios’ chances, claiming his countryman wouldn’t be able to cause any surprises.
Kyrgios has made it no secret that he’s keen to win a Grand Slam singles title after getting painfully close at in 2022. He reached his first Major final at SW19 and took the first set against before losing.
Ahead of his comeback, the former world No. 13 said by getting his hands on one of the biggest trophies in tennis. And Rafter thinks Kyrgios has a chance to do it immediately.
“You’d never write anyone off with the talent that Nick has. It’s pretty amazing,” the two-time Grand Slam champion told AAP.
“I really don’t know what he’s done, though. A year and a half off the game… so it’s going to be interesting.”
Pat Rafter has no expectations for Nick Kyrgios on his comeback (Image: Getty)
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Although the 51-year-old wouldn’t be surprised to see Kyrgios go all the way at Melbourne Park, he also backtracked and claimed a first-round exit would be a realistic prediction.
Rafter continued: “I have no expectations or no understanding about how he is going to go. He’s got a massive game.
“But then can he keep it together? Can his body hold up? Can his mind hold together? They’re probably his really big hurdles, especially his body.”
Aside from his first-round exit at the Stuttgart Open in 2023, Kyrgios has not played a full tournament since October 2022, when he reached the quarter-final at the Japan Open but was forced to pull out ahead of the match.
And Rafter has warned the seven-time title winner that it will be tough to jump straight back into competition. “If you don’t play competitively, God, it’s a completely different thing than to training,” he added.
“So I really don’t know what to expect from him. I think it’s all up in the air. If you go there to see him play, it will be interesting to see.
“I don’t know quite what the expectation is from the pundits but my expectation is there is none. When I say there is no expectation, if he gets to the quarters, the semis, it wouldn’t surprise me. If he loses the first round, it wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t know.”
Kyrgios will be in action at the upcoming World Tennis League exhibition before his first official tournament in more than a year, the Brisbane International, begins on December 29.