Gael Monfils makes massive claim about Nick Kyrgios ahead of his return to tennis at the Australian Open

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Gael Monfils may have just given Nick Kyrgios a further confidence boost ahead of his return at the Australian Open.

Kyrgios has a protected ranking for the Australian Open, with the home favourite preparing to come back from a lengthy injury lay-off.

The Australian has suffered from wrist and knee injuries in recent seasons, with his last competitive appearance coming at the Stuttgart Open in the summer of 2023.

Kyrgios will play at the Brisbane International as he steps up his preparations for the first Grand Slam of the 2025 season in Melbourne.

But going far in the former competition could prove difficult, with the likes of Novak Djokovic and defending champion Grigor Dimitrov having signed up alongside Kyrgios.

Gael Monfils tips Nick Kyrgios for success ahead of the Australian Open

He has, however, now been given the backing to potentially go all the way in the latter tournament by fellow ATP Tour star Monfils.

READ MORE: The day Nick Kyrgios received the biggest fine of his tennis career and what happened on court

Carrying out a Q&A on X, the Frenchman was asked if Kyrgios can fight for some Grand Slams ahead of his comeback, with Monfils replying: “Yeah 100% he can win a Slam, he is so good you can’t imagine.”

What is Nick Kyrgios’s Grand Slam record?

Kyrgios came closest to breaking his Grand Slam singles duck in 2022, when he faced off with close companion Djokovic.

The duo were once rivals on and off the court, but have seemingly patched up their fractured relationship in recent times.

READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios says what is ‘hands down’ the most fun tournament to play on tour

And despite leading the Serbian icon at the All England Club, Kyrgios went on to lose 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-7(3-7).

Elsewhere, the confident Australian has reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open and US Open, with a third round finish his best French Open result.

Improving upon all of those finishes could be on his agenda for 2025, but perhaps staying fit is the more appropriate aim given his injury issues.

Hard courts may not be his most favourable based on previous results, but perhaps the home crowd in Melbourne could help drive him into the latter stages of the competition.