Nick Kyrgios is closing in on a return to competitive tennis after a lengthy spell out with wrist and knee injuries.
Kyrgios has been commentating during his time off the court, but the Australian is expected to be back playing shortly.
A return is likely to arrive later this year, with Kyrgios set to play at the Brisbane International in December, a tournament he won in 2018.
The former world number 13, like his fellow professionals, is set to use the event to prepare for the 2025 Australian Open.
The Brisbane International awards 250 ranking points, although that is perhaps the last thing on the mind of Kyrgios.
Nick Kyrgios shares if he really loves playing tennis
He will instead be eager to simply make it through unscathed, having last played competitively at the 2023 Stuttgart Open.
Tennis wasn’t, however, his first love, with Kyrgios sharing his love for basketball with film star Matthew McConaughey in the latest episode of Good Trouble.
“I played basketball growing up, and that was my first passion, was like playing basketball, loved it, used to shoot hoops at the back of my house,” he said. “My dad, my parents, pushed me into tennis.
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“Because being from Australia, making it in tennis… because tennis is one of our biggest sports down there, but basketball is not. So they’re just like, stop playing basketball, now we’re just going to push you in tennis, and I hated it. Couldn’t stand it.”
McConaughey queried: “When did you start to love it?” with the Australian responding: “I don’t know if I love it. Just want to play basketball. But yeah it’s crazy, they kind of just took the basketball straight out of my hand, said, Look we’re going to pursue this tennis career, and here it is.”
The film star continued: “So you don’t know if you love tennis?” with Kyrgios replying: “I mean, I’m competitive, I love the competition.”
McConaughey interjected: “But without competition, you and a little green ball in a racket, you don’t know if you love that?” as Kyrgios noted: “I don’t know if I love tennis.”
Will Nick Kyrgios make a successful return to tennis?
Whether or not Kyrgios actually loves playing tennis or indeed watching it is perhaps irrelevant at this stage of his career, with the 29-year-old clearly a real talent at the sport.
He climbed all the way to 13th in the world back in 2016, before going on to lose the 2022 Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic in his one and only Grand Slam final appearance to date.
For now it should be about one last attempt at enjoying playing after his injury struggles, although it remains to be seen if Kyrgios will ever truly fall in love with tennis.
The discussion continued, with McConaughey noting: “Sometimes a lot of people do things we don’t necessarily go are our favorite thing to do, but we get good at it and say I’m kind of learning to love this.”
Referencing his roots, Kyrgios said: “I mean being from Australia, I have to be traveling eight months a year, new place every week, out of a hotel, don’t see my family and friends. From Australia it’s a bit harder, it’s a tough sport.”
McConaughey then questioned him: “If you could play in Australia in your backyard with your family with you the whole time?” with the tennis ace saying: “It would be easier… I still think I’d want to play basketball.”
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