Nick Kyrgios signs up for Australian Open warm-up at Kooyong

MELBOURNE: Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios has signalled his intention to play at next year’s Australian Open by signing up for the Kooyong Classic warm-up exhibition event.

The mercurial 30-year-old Australian has been ravaged by career-threatening injuries over the last couple of years and played only five singles matches in the 2025 season, the most recent at the Miami Open in March.

Now 666th in the world with no protected ranking, Kyrgios will need wildcards to play any of the ATP warm-up tournaments ahead of the Australian Open, as well as at the Grand Slam tournament itself.

Those wildcards are likely to be forthcoming if requested given Kyrgios is a former champion at the Brisbane International and a perennial crowd favourite at Melbourne Park.

Kyrgios was already scheduled to play other exhibition matches before the end of this year, including his “battle of the sexes” clash with Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai on Dec. 28.

The Kooyong Classic will have a strong Italian flavour next year with Davis Cup heroes Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Berrettini as well as world number eight Lorenzo Musetti all also confirmed in the men’s field.

The exhibition tournament, which did not take place this year because of operational issues, runs from January 13 to 15, three days before the Grand Slam season kicks off a few kilometres up the Yarra River at Melbourne Park.