Nick Kyrgios made his return to professional tennis in Washington, but suffered a defeat in his opening match.
The Aussie star had last appeared on the ATP Tour at the Miami Open in March when Kyrgios lost to Karen Khachanov in the second round.
Working with TalkSport during Wimbledon, Kyrgios announced his intentions to return to tennis ahead of the US Open.
He did just that in Washington, competing in the doubles event alongside the popular Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Unfortunately, the pair were unsuccessful, as Kyrgios and Monfils lost 2-6, 2-6, in 58 minutes to the number-three seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys.
Following such a comprehensive defeat, Kyrgios must now make a very important decision before the US Open begins in August.
Nick Kyrgios needs to decide whether he wants to play Cincinnati before the US Open
Using his protected ranking, Kyrgios entered the draw for the Cincinnati Open, which begins on Monday, August 4.
Kyrgios is a former finalist in Cincinnati, losing out to Grigor Dimitrov in 2017, his best-ever Masters 1000 result.
Nick Kyrgios’ best Masters 1000 results
- 2017 Cincinnati Open – Lost in F to Grigor Dimitrov
- 2017 Miami Open – Lost in SF to Roger Federer
- 2016 Miami Open – Lost in SF to Kei Nishikori
- 2022 Indian Wells – Lost in QF to Rafael Nadal
- 2016 Madrid Open – Lost in QF to Kei Nishikori
- 2022 Canadian Open – Lost in QF to Hubert Hurkacz
- 2017 Indian Wells – Withdrew before QF
Performing as well as he has in Cincinnati, it’s no surprise Kyrgios plans to make the trip to Ohio, but that may not be the wisest choice he can make.
Complaining about his leg injury after his and Monfils’ doubles defeat in Washington, Kyrgios made it clear that he’s still far from 100%.
If he wants any chance of making a splash at the US Open later in the year, perhaps it would make more sense for Kyrgios to skip Cincinnati and rest up before he heads to New York.
There is, of course, a valid counter-argument that Kyrgios needs to build back strength and gain match fitness before the final Grand Slam of the year.
Kyrgios has played just nine matches (singles and doubles) in 2025, after playing none in 2024 and just the one in 2023.
| Match | Singles/doubles | Opponent(s) | Result |
| 2025 Washington Open – 1R | Doubles (With Gael Monfils) | Edouard Roger-Vasselin/Hugo Nys | Loss |
| 2025 Miami Open – 2R | Singles | Karen Khachanov | Loss |
| 2025 Miami Open – 1R | Singles | Mackenzie McDonald | Win |
| 2025 Indian Wells – 1R | Singles | Botic van de Zandschulp | Loss |
| 2025 Australian Open – 1R | Doubles (With Thanasi Kokkinakis) | Aleksandar Vukic/James Duckworth | Loss |
| 2025 Australian Open – 1R | Singles | Jacob Fearnley | Loss |
| 2025 Brisbane International – 2R | Doubles (With Novak Djokovic) | Nikola Mektic/Michael Venus | Loss |
| 2025 Brisbane International – 1R | Singles | Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard | Loss |
| 2025 Brisbane International – 1R | Doubles (With Novak Djokovic) | Alexander Erler/Andreas Mies | Win |
| 2023 Stuttgart Open – 1R | Singles | Yibing Wu | Loss |
Winning just two matches in 1,020 days, Kyrgios could do with getting a few wins under his belt before he returns to Grand Slam action.
No one knows Kyrgios’ body better than he does, and he will need to make the right decision as soon as possible to give him the best chance of performing at Flushing Meadows next month.
Nick Kyrgios’ record at the US Open
If Kyrgios is fit to play the US Open, he’ll make his tenth career appearance at the event.
The Aussie has enjoyed varying degrees of success in New York, but made his best run at the tournament in 2022.
Prior to 2022, Kyrgios hadn’t been past the third round at the US Open, but quickly changed that, securing wins over Thanasi Kokkinakis, Benjamin Bonzi, and JJ Wolf.
A stunning fourth-round win over Daniil Medvedev saw Kyrgios book his place in the quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
It was there that his run came to an end, losing out to Khachanov in a five-set thriller on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Kyrgios hasn’t returned to the US Open since, missing the 2023 and 2024 tournaments due to injury.
His record in New York now stands at 12-9 (57%), a tally Kyrgios would no doubt love to improve upon this time around.
The 2025 US Open is scheduled to begin on Sunday, August 24.
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