4 months ago
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Nick Kyrgios says he's not acceptable capable to play singles astatine the Australian Open but volition vie successful doubles with his Australian mate Thanasi Kokkinakis astatine Melbourne Park.
Kyrgios, who played successful the alleged “ Battle of the Sexes ” accumulation against Aryna Sabalenka past month, had been tipped by section media to person 1 of the 3 remaining wild-card entries from Tennis Australia.
TA announced aboriginal connected Friday (January 9, 2026) that 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka and Australian players Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell had received them. The 40-year-old Wawrinka has already announced this twelvemonth volition beryllium his last play connected tour.
Kyrgios said connected Friday connected societal media helium would lone play doubles successful the tournament, which starts Jan. 18. Multiple wrist and genu surgeries person constricted Kyrgios to conscionable 7 singles circuit matches implicit the past 3 years, with his ranking sinking to 670.
The 30-year-old veteran’s astir caller singles lucifer lasted conscionable 66 minutes — a 6-3, 6-4 nonaccomplishment to American Aleksandar Kovacevic astatine the Brisbane International this week.
Kyrgios, who reached the 2022 Wimbledon final, said his assemblage wasn’t yet acceptable for five-set tennis and helium wanted the chaotic paper to spell to idiosyncratic who could “make their infinitesimal count."
"After immoderate bully conversations with TA I’ve made the telephone to absorption connected doubles for this year’s AO,” helium wrote successful an Instagram post. “I’m acceptable and backmost connected court, but 5 setters are a antithetic beast, and I’m not rather acceptable to spell the region yet.
“This tourney means everything to me, but I’d alternatively springiness my spot to idiosyncratic who’s acceptable to marque their infinitesimal count. It’s each gathering blocks, and I’ll beryllium backmost adjacent twelvemonth and pumped to compete.”
