Novak Djokovic hinted at a potential return date for Nick Kyrgios, and it’s not that far away, which should excite all tennis fans.
Kyrgios has been away from tennis for a long time, having not played since last year’s Stuttgart Open. He first dealt with a knee injury that required surgery, only to injure his wrist just as he returned to the sport.
That wrist injury turned out to be very complicated, so the 29-year-old had to take his time getting back to the sport. He’s yet to come back, but he’s been practicing recently, including a joint practice with Djokovic at Wimbledon.
When asked about that practice, the Serbian spoke highly of Kyrgios but also hinted at when we might see him return to the courts.
“I can tell you a few days ago when we practiced – actually yesterday, I think it was when we practiced – he hit a really good serve, and he said: ‘Well, I might come back at the US Open.'”
“So I don’t know if he was joking about it or not. But let me tell you, he’s hitting the ball as good as ever, really. He’s so talented. He’s so good with his tennis.”
The Australian should be back in the coming weeks, but only in doubles, as he previously explained that he wanted to ease himself back into action on the ATP Tour by playing doubles, which requires less physical effort.
He didn’t say when he’ll be back in singles, but the US Open would be a great place to do so because the fans at Flushing Meadows certainly love him. According to the 37-year-old Serbian, Kyrgios’ wrist doesn’t bother him in live play, but his main issue is the serve, which is one of his main weapons.
“I think he said that the wrist bothers him mostly with the serve, but he’s been increasing the load and the intensity and the speed. He’s not going for full pace or full-strength serve, but he’s close to that. He’s close to that. He’s very positive. It’s nice to see him full of life, full of energy.”
