Nick Kyrgios is one of six ATP stars using a protected ranking as he prepares for his first Grand Slam in two years. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up is confirmed for next month’s Australian Open after a horror run of consecutive injuries.
The Australian will play with a protected ranking of 21. Protected rankings make it easier for stars to qualify for tournaments when they have spent long periods out injured.
Kyrgios has been sidelined for almost a full two years with knee, foot and wrist injuries. He had identified the Australian summer as his comeback date.
The 29-year-old will step up his return to full fitness at the new World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi in a fortnight. He is then expected to participate in the Brisbane International before playing at the Australian Open.
Craig Tiley, the Australian Open tournament director, said that had Kyrgios failed with an application for a protected ranking, he would have received a wildcard for the event anyway.
Pablo Carreno Busta, Reilly Opelka, Kei Nishikori, Jenson Brooksby and Dominic Stricker have also received protected rankings.
In the women’s draw, Belinda Bencic is among the stars using a protected ranking – 15th – after returning to action following the birth of her daughter earlier this year.
“Kyrgios and Bencic are among six men and six women competing… using protected rankings, setting the main-draw entry ranking cut-off for both fields at world No. 98,” the organisers said in a statement.
The British players set to be in action at the Australian Open are Jack Draper, Cameron Norrie, Katie Boulter, Emma Raducanu, Sonay Kartel and Jodie Burrage. The latter is making her return to action using a protected ranking of 85th.
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are the men’s and women’s top seeds for the tournament. They will be hoping to win the crown for the second time in succession. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic is chasing a record 11th Australian Open title with Andy Murray as his coach.
The all-star team of Djokovic and Murray will be together at a Grand Slam for the first time in Melbourne. After splitting from Goran Ivanisevic earlier this year, the Serb wanted a coach who had experience dealing with the pressures he currently faces.
However, Kyrgios recently suggested he had a higher tennis IQ than both stars and the rest of the ATP Tour while building his ultimate player. “I don’t know if anyone in the history of tennis has made the final of Wimbledon without a coach. So for IQ, I’d probably take myself,” he said.
