Popular player Nick Kyrgios is set to make his return to grand slam tournaments at the Australian Open in January, marking his first appearance since 2022. Organisers revealed on Friday that Kyrgios, who has faced numerous injury challenges throughout his career, will utilize a protected ranking of No. 21 to secure his spot in the main draw. The former Wimbledon singles finalist is among 11 Australians confirmed for the main draw, with 10 of them competing in the men's field, led by top-10 player Alex de Minaur.
Born in Canberra, Kyrgios achieved a career-high world ranking of 13 in 2016 and reached the quarter-finals in Melbourne in 2015. Known for his polarizing yet skillful play, he made it to the Wimbledon singles quarter-finals in 2014 and the final in 2022, where he was defeated by Serbian star Novak Djokovic in four sets. Kyrgios also reached the quarter-finals at the US Open in 2022, his last major tournament before injuries sidelined him for an extended period.
Kyrgios, who possesses immense talent, is eager to add the singles crown in Melbourne to the men's doubles title he won with fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis in 2022. Other Australians directly entering the men's draw include De Minaur, Kokkinakis, Alexei Popyrin, Jordan Thompson, Chris O'Connell, Aleksandar Vukic, Rinky Hijikata, James Duckworth, and Adam Walton. Olivia Gadecki is the sole Australian woman to gain direct entry.
Another notable returnee is Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic, the Swiss star who is back in action after the birth of her daughter Bella in April. Kyrgios and Bencic are part of a group of six men and six women competing in Melbourne using protected rankings, setting the main-draw entry ranking cut-off at world No. 98 for both fields. A total of 104 players have been directly accepted into both the men's and women's singles draws, with eight additional spots reserved for wildcard entries. The remaining 16 places will be filled by qualifiers, with the final round of qualifying set to take place at Melbourne Park on January 9, ahead of the tournament's start on January 12.
Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will be back in Melbourne aiming to defend his title. Djokovic, meanwhile, will be vying for his 11th Australian Open crown, which would bring his all-time grand slam singles titles record to 25. In the women's draw, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus will be seeking a hat-trick of titles.
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