Ahead of his return to action in Washington, Nick Kyrgios revealed his fears he would never play tennis again due to persistent injuries.Kyrgios reached the final of Wimbledon in 2022, suffering defeat to Novak Djokovic before a series of injuries decimated his subsequent seasons.
He marked his return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open in January, suffering a first-round defeat to Jacob Fearnley – but his recurring theme of injuries has continued throughout the 2025 campaign.
Kyrgios’ fitness proved problematic as he and Thanasi Kokkinakis retired in the first round of the Australian Open, before the 30-year-old’s Indian Wells campaign was also cut short – retiring in the first round, with a recent knee issue also ruling him out of Wimbledon.
The Australian felt he was playing “some of the best tennis of [his] life” before he was hit by injuries in 2022, and said there were times he thought a return would not be possible.
”Life can just come at you quick with injuries,” Kyrgios said. “But yeah, I mean just to be back here, after my wrist injury and my knee injury, I never thought that I’d be back at a tournament like this playing ever again, to be honest.
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“It’s encouraging just the amount of work I’ve done the last couple of years to get back here and just to be part of it again on the actual playing side of things, not commentating, it’s good to be back.”
Kyrgios is teaming up with legendary French star Gael Monfils on the hard courts of the United States capital, and the newly founded partnership will first be tested by Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
”I’ve obviously missed playing,” Kyrgios added. “I’m a competitor at heart and just to be back here and playing with my good friend Gael as well, you know.
“It’s funny that we’ve never actually played doubles together, which is strange. I am very nervous to see how it goes, to be honest. I don’t know how our focus is going to be, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Kyrgios’ strong run in 2022 saw him claim the DC Open title with victory over Yoshihito Nishioka in the final – and he said the set-up at the tournament allows him to thrive – and hopes that translates into the doubles format with his rehabilitation from a knee injury delaying his singles return.
”It’s been a difficult last couple years, that’s for sure,” he said. “But something about DC always brings out the best in me for some reason.
“I really enjoy playing here, the energy, the crowds. I feel so welcome. I literally walk through the gates and the people are just so nice, coming for autographs and just photos. They’re just so friendly.
“But yeah, for me, just to be able to take the court, obviously I wanted to play singles, but six weeks ago I had a bit of a niggle with my knee.
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“I’m just going to take a bit more time with that to get to the singles court, but happy to get out there and play some doubles this week with Gael and just, you know, get in front of the fans.
“I mean, I was about to say home fans, that’s how much I feel at home here, yeah. It is special.”
The DC Open is set to showcase some of the sport’s biggest names – including a return for seven-time Grand Slam singles winner Venus Williams in the women’s singles and doubles at the age of 45.
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