For the first time in over two and half years, fallen star Nick Kyrgios was able to rejoice after his first-round match in Miami. The former world No.13 won his last match all the way back in October 2022, when he defeated Poland's Kamil Majchrzak at an ATP 500 event in Tokyo.
It took until March 19 2025 for the flamboyant Aussie to win his next encounter, coming back from a set down against American Mackenzie McDonald to win 3-6 6- 3 6-4.
After playing only one match spanning over nine months from October 2022 to July 2023, Kyrgios opted for a full wrist reconstruction surgery to repair the issue.
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Although the injury had been nagging away for many months, it was during a hitting session at Wimbledon in 2023 that the 29-year-old felt pain getting worse. Kyrgios said at the time of the incident, which resulted in a full rupture of the scapholunate ligament, that it was the most challenging period of his career.
However, he was always hopeful he would return to the court and defy the odds.
"People aren’t expecting me to come back, especially after an injury like this, so I would love to do that and play again," he said.
"This has been a really challenging time – the hardest of my career."
After missing the entirety of the 2024 season, Kyrgios made his long-awaited return leading up to this year’s Australian Open. He played big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at the Brisbane International, then Jacob Fearnley at Melbourne Park.
As recently as the start of March, the Canberran was forced to retire mid-match from his opening round at Indian Wells due to discomfort in his wrist, before getting himself right and breaking through for his first win in 896 days at the Miami Open.
After the match, he described the toll of missing so much tennis, wondering whether he would ever be able to live out his childhood dream again.
"It’s been a long journey," he confessed. "I thought I would never play tennis again, to be brutally honest, and it was going that way."
He said the win now gives him extra motivation moving forward, but the Aussie is also realistic about where he stands and his future capabilities.
"This puts a bit more petrol in the tank, but I need to be realistic, I’ll see how my wrist pulls up tomorrow," he said.
"[I have to] let go of what was. You are a new person, new player now. It ain’t easy, but you have to enjoy whatever is left in this tennis journey."
He will next face 22nd seed Karen Khachanov on Saturday, with the pair having had several big battles in the past, with this particular showdown sure to have some spice as well.
Who knows what the future holds for the tennis talent, but one thing is for certain, he is sure to wow crowds over the next period, and as fans of the sport, we should be grateful for some of the memorable moments and times he’s pumped into the game.
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