Nick Kyrgios made a losing return to ATP Tour action on Tuesday, falling to world No 58 Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Brisbane International. The Australian, playing his first tour-level match in ten months, was broken once in each set during the 65-minute contest.
Kyrgios appeared to clutch his elbow in discomfort at times against the 23-year-old American. The 30-year-old, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, has been plagued by injuries and has played only six ATP singles matches in the past three years.
The defeat leaves Kyrgios sweating over a potential wildcard for the Australian Open, which begins on 18 January. Three men's singles wildcard spots remain available. He will next play doubles alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis, his 2022 Australian Open men's doubles champion partner, before an exhibition event in Kooyong next week.
Meanwhile, world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who beat Kyrgios in a 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition last month, defended the event after her own straight-sets win over Cristina Bucsa in Brisbane. 'When you play against a guy, the intensity is completely different,' she said. 'It wasn't about proving something... it was able to show that tennis can be really huge.'
