Nick Kyrgios has received a wildcard into January's Kooyong Classic exhibition. (Getty Images: Andy Cheung)
In short:
Nick Kyrgios says improvement in his troublesome knee has given him confidence he can play in next year's Australian Open.
The world number 666 Kyrgios has not played on tour since March, but he has received a wildcard entry to the Kooyong Classic exhibition event.
What's next?
The Kooyong Classic runs from January 13-15 ahead of the Australian Open main draw, which begins on January 18.
Nick Kyrgios will contest the returning Kooyong Classic in Melbourne as the former Wimbledon finalist continues his surprise bid to make a competitive comeback at the Australian Open.
Kyrgios has added the January 13-15 round-robin to a packed schedule also featuring exhibition matches next month in the US against Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul, before a much-hyped "Battle of the Sexes" showdown in Dubai on December 28 against women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka.
The Australian has not played on the ATP Tour since March, with career-threatening knee and wrist surgeries restricting the one-time world number 13 to just six matches in more than three years.
But the mercurial talent revealed to AAP this month that he was hoping to play the Brisbane International and then the Australian Open if his body survived his succession of exhibition matches.
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The 30-year-old said he had been training like he was during his career-best year in 2022, when he lost the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic in four sets, then reached the US Open quarter-finals.
"I don't know whether to call it a miracle or anything, but my knee feels like it's gotten younger by a couple of years," Kyrgios said.
"I really didn't have hope to be able to play AO or just ever get back to that point of where I felt comfortable and competing and really letting my body go.
"But something in the last month, I don't know what it is. I was with my masseuse and physio last night and something really has changed with my knee.
"Like, it's not swelling. It's not feeling bad after a session."
Having spiralled to the devil's number of 666 in the world since his lay-off, Kyrgios would need a wildcard entry into any tournaments over the Australian summer.
The ATP told AAP his injury-protected ranking of world number 21 — which afforded him direct entry to certain events — expired on November 10.
As a former winner in Brisbane and perennial fan favourite and 2022 Australian Open doubles champion, Kyrgios's wildcard cases would appear compelling.
His inclusion at Kooyong — which was not held last year — follows the announcement that newly crowned Italian Davis Cup heroes Flavio Cobolli, the world number 22, and Matteo Berrettini, another ex-Wimbledon runner-up, would also feature.
Other stars include Italy's world number eight Lorenzo Musetti, the 11th-ranked Alexander Bublik and former Australian Open finalist Marin Cilic.
The Australian Open starts on January 18.
AAP
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