Nick Kyrgios made his long-awaited return to tennis at the Washington Open, but fell just short of a winning comeback.
Kyrgios opted to play doubles at the Washington Open with fellow icon Gael Monfils, but the duo failed to make it beyond the first round.
They were handed a tough draw against third seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys, who won 6-2, 6-2.
Australian ace Kyrgios withdrew from Washington Open singles, but did manage to make it onto the court at the tournament.
But it was short-lived, in what was the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up’s first appearance on the ATP Tour since the Miami Open in March.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty ImagesNick Kyrgios messages critics after Washington DC exit
And despite the defeat and indeed the disappointing nature of it, Kyrgios was as bullish as ever about his latest display.
Sharing images of his efforts on social media, he wrote on Instagram: “Say what you want… you watched.”
Indeed, among those looking on in the background was Venus Williams, who has also made a comeback at the competition.
But she made a winning return, playing alongside Hailey Baptiste to defeat Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue.
Washington Open fans treated to exciting doubles pairings before US Open
Fans packed out the venue in an expectant mood, hoping for many fireworks from the flamboyant Kyrgios and Monfils.
But it unfortunately wasn’t meant to be, with their opponents using their vast experience to spoil the party.
There are, however, plenty of other pairings to get a glimpse of, including Emma Raducanu and Elena Rybakina.
That includes Australians Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin, who are wildcards at the ATP 500 event like Kyrgios and Monfils were.
American duo Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe meanwhile wanted to put on a show in front of their home fans.
But they also lost their opening match at the Washington Open, losing out to the experienced pair Matthew Ebden and John Peers.
25 teams have officially entered the reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship.
On July 28, the top 8 teams determined by combined singles ranking will be in the field via direct entry. The remaining 8 teams will be determined via wild card and announced at a later date. pic.twitter.com/22YH2zt3m4
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) July 21, 2025
View Tweet
The many exciting pairings come ahead of the US Open, which has taken that excitement to a whole new level.
Among the intriguing partnerships are Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner, and Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka.