Nick Kyrgios concedes “the stars have to align a little bit” for him to make a successful comeback after more than a year out of professional tennis.
While the 2022 Wimbledon finalist maintains he’s hungry for a return, Kyrgios is now unranked after being sidelined since September last year with knee and wrist issues.
The one-time world No 13 required knee surgery in January and then aborted comeback plans at Wimbledon after tearing a ligament in his right wrist.
He said last week it would be almost a month before he could remove a splint from his serving forearm and Thursday’s candid revelation of needing some luck will come as a major blow to his fans.
Commentating on the ATP Finals in Italy, Kyrgios was remaining optimistic that he could emulate Alexander Zverev, the former world No 2 who is back in the top 10 after shattering an ankle at last year’s French Open.
“The stars have to align a little bit,” Kyrgios told the Tennis Channel.
“And with Zverev, he’s an incredibly hard worker. That’s his reputation. He ticks all the boxes and, if someone like that can come back from an injury like that, I think that’s what I have to draw inspiration from for sure.
As well as reaching his maiden grand slam final at the All England Club, Kyrgios also advanced to the US Open quarter-finals for the first time last year.
The 28-year-old said his stellar 2022 season was the driving force behind his desire to make a successful return.
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“After last year, I had such a great year and I’m so hungry to get back out there,” Kyrgios said.
“So I’m doing everything I can to get back out there. Obviously, you know how injuries are every day, just doing the rehab, doing the gym work. But to be here and being able to watch the match we’re about to watch (between Zverev and Daniil Medvedev) makes me more hungry to get out there.”