Nick Kyrgios comeback confirmed as Aussie star signs up for tournament

Nick Kyrgios has officially signed up for a tournament this summer after spending weeks teasing his comeback. The former world No. 13 will compete at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown in New York ahead of the US Open. But he could be back on court even sooner after targeting Wimbledon and the grass courts.

Kyrgios has been sidelined for the better part of 17 months with knee and wrist injuries. He has played just one singles match since October 2022, returning in Stuttgart last June and losing in the first round. But he has been hinting at a return in recent weeks and now has a tournament lined up in his schedule.

The 28-year-old has signed up for the Ultimate Tennis Showdown this summer – an unconventional exhibition tournament created by Patrick Mouratoglou. Kyrgios has been slated to compete in the event multiple times before being forced to pull out.

He did appear in Los Angeles last year to coach Frances Tiafoe. But he will finally make his UTS debut in New York. Kyrgios will be joined by Andrey Rublev, Gael Monfils, Alex de Minaur and Casper Ruud from August 22 to 23 at the Forest Hills Stadium – the old home of the US Open.

It is set to be the 10th edition of UTS and the second of 2024, after Rublev won in Oslo last month. The UTS format seems perfect for Kyrgios, as there are virtually no rules and players are encouraged to show their emotions on court.

Each match is played over four quarters of eight minutes, where players must earn as many points as they can before going to a sudden death. The news of Kyrgios’ UTS debut comes after the 2022 Wimbledon finalist claimed he would be back on tour “soon”.

During a recent Q&A, he answered questions about his ongoing injury woes and offered some positive updates. “Honestly, I’m seeing improvement every day with my wrist and I’m in the middle of getting back to playing shape,” he said last month.