MELBOURNE/WASHINGTON, January 14, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)
The question circulating among reporters and fans at the Australian Open following the hasty, first-round departure of Nick Kyrgios was a simple one: Has the mercurial Australian played his final singles match at the Happy Slam?
While the 29-year-old Canberra native made his long-awaited Grand Slam return Monday evening, following a lengthy absence due to injuries, the unranked Kyrgios lost in straight sets to No. 92 Jacob Fearnley of Great Britain, 7-6 (3), 6-3, 7-6 (2), in two hours and 19 minutes on John Cain Arena. It’s the site of many of Kyrgios’ greatest Australian Open triumphs of the past. However, this wasn’t one of them.
A check of the statistics confirms that although Kyrgios hit 13 aces, he also served eight double faults. His 35 winners were nearly eclipsed by his 32 unforced errors. To his credit, he saved nine of 11 break points he faced but was outpointed 127-102.
In control from go to woah, Jacob Fearnley gets the better of Nick Kyrgios 7-6(3) 6-3 7-6(2)
Onto the next one, Jacob!@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/N6OY3jSM1J
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025
Afterward, during his post-match news conference, Kyrgios, who was troubled with an abdominal injury that required medical time outs during the match, cast doubt if he will ever compete again in Melbourne.
“Realistically, I can’t really see myself probably playing singles again here,” said Kyrgios, whose last appearance at a major was the US Open in 2022. “It was special. Like taking that it, it was pretty good. I knew that I have doubles, so I kind of was taking everything in tonight in those moments. It was nuts. I didn’t want to just throw in the towel and walk off or retire. I was hurting physically. I respect my opponent. The fans waited hours to come see me play. Realistically, I can’t see myself playing a singles match here again.”
They’ve waited three years for this.
They’ve waited for hours outside for this!
The Return of the King. Coming up right now on JCA.@NickKyrgios • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/S0xV2kP1yy
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025
Once ranked as high as World No. 13, Kyrgios has been limited to just three matches since the start of the 2023 season after undergoing wrist surgery and dealing with other injuries, too.
”I was knocking on the door from playing some of the biggest events, winning some of the biggest events. To see how hard I worked in the past year, I didn’t think I was going to be back here anyway playing. I didn’t get a wild card. I’m here because I feel like I deserve to be here,” Kyrgios said.
Ever the showman the ol’ underarm, behind-the-back combo
Welcome back to the court @NickKyrgios!#CanadianClubAO • #Cheeky • #DrinkResponsibly • @espn • @eurosport • @wwos • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/juRvcUdU7N
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025
Kyrgios confirmed he would be back on court later in the tournament to play doubles with his good friend and fellow Aussie Thanasi Kokkinakis, with whom he won the AO men’s doubles title in 2022. He also hinted he will try to play singles at the others majors later this year.
“I’ll play the Grand Slams,” Kyrgios said. “I’ve got my protected ranking. Obviously, Wimbledon is a big one for me. I still feel like obviously, if I don’t have an abdominal strain, I feel when I sustained that five days before a Grand Slam, it’s not ideal. Hopefully, if my body’s feeling good, I’ll be able to make some noise at Wimbledon.”
Around the Australian Open
• Among the early men’s winners Tuesday afternoon: No. 19 seed Karen Khachanov of Russia, swept past No. 75 Adrian Mannarino of France, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3, in two hours and 20 minutes on Court 7, highlighted by 31 winners and six breaks of serve. Khachanov outpointed Mannarino 108-79.
A dominant display
Khachanov takes down Mannarino in straight sets with a 7-6(5) 6-3 6-3 win @australianopen | #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/XDPCVYGwQZ
— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 14, 2025
• Among the early women’s winners Tuesday afternoon: No. 9 seed Daria Kasatkina of Russia defeated No. 58 Viktoriya Tomova of Bulgaria, 6-1, 6-3, in 67 minutes on John Cain Arena, behind 22 winners. She broke Tomova’s serve five times in 10 opportunities and outpointed her opponent 63-38.
Also, No. 61 Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, upset No. 26 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), in two hours and 17 minutes on Court 3. She finished with nine aces, hit 22 winners and broke her opponent’s serve six times. No. 15 seed Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil rallied for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over 146th-ranked qualifier Julia Riera of Argentina on 1573 Arena.
W secured @DKasatkina gets a comfortable win 6-1, 6-3 over Tomova.#AO2025 pic.twitter.com/l5zxIdrYg1
— wta (@WTA) January 14, 2025
• On Monday evening, 165th-ranked Australian qualifier Destanee Aiava garnered her first Grand Slam win in a three-hour marathon against No. 91 Greet Minnen of Belgium, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (10-5), after being a set and 5-2 down. It’s arguably her biggest comeback and it’s advanced the 24-year-old from Melbourne into the second round against No. 10 seed Danielle Collins of the United States.
Aiava, one of nine Australians to win on Day 2 of the Happy Slam, saved two match points during the final set to secure her first Australian Open victory in five attempts.
“I’m just super happy to get through and finally win a first-round [match] of singles at a Grand Slam, especially at my home Slam as well,” Aiava said afterward. “It was really nice and special and the crowd got me through.”
DESTANEE FULFILLED AT #AO2025
Aiava fights back from the brink to score her first AO main draw victory! @wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/RZbtWLTNMR
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025
• After women’s No. 18 seed Donna Vekic of Croatia won her first-round match over Diana Parry of France Sunday afternoon, she also sent a message of love to Los Angeles, a city that has been ravaged by fire the past week that has burned more than 38,000 acres and destroyed or damaged more than 12,000 structures. She wrote on the television camera lens “LA” and a heart.
Other players, such as Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Iga Swiatek of Poland, and Americans Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula and Madison Keys have also written messages after their first-round wins.
Sending ❤️ to everyone in LA.@JPegula • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/0ANO84KBNJ
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025
Vekic felt personally connected to the tragedy because one of her coaches, Hall of Famer Pam Shriver, is a Los Angeles resident. Shriver, who also is a longtime ESPN commentator, went on social media Sunday to explain her decision to stay behind to help manage her family’s responsibilities.
“It’s a very difficult situation for her,” Vekic said Sunday during her post-match news conference. “She’s home in L.A. Her house is OK for now, but so many have lost everything, and it’s a horrible situation.
“We were doing our preseason in L.A. this year, so we were just there two weeks ago,” Vekic said, “so I really cannot believe what’s happening. We are very sad that she’s not here with us. … We really miss her here. We are in touch daily, and I hope everything will be OK.”
Help support our friends in California! https://t.co/5YqE9Y9ap7
— wta (@WTA) January 12, 2025
The story behind Naomi Osaka’s sunflowers
Four-time major and twice Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka of Japan, who was featured Monday evening on Rod Laver Arena and defeated France’s Caroline Garcia, sported a sunflower theme – noticeable in her hair and her shoes. As she wrote: “So the theme is sunflower. Every slam this year will have a flower theme shoe. I think that’s really cute. … The Australian Open is the Happy Slam. So, I thought it was really fitting for it to have a sunny theme.”
@naomiosaka #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/JLGaFy0y5Z
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 14, 2025
Tuesday’s Australian Open results
Wednesday’s Australian Open order of play
What they’re writing
• Donald McRae, who writes for the London-based Guardian and The Observer, interviewed Russia’s Andrey Rublev, who offered a fresh insight into his long struggle with depression and hurting himself on the court.
Thank you @AndreyRublev97 for all the honesty, intelligence and compassion in our powerful & always interesting interview. Andrey talks about overcoming depression, no longer hurting himself and how he is helping others and feeling better and even excited https://t.co/udQaIl0cnd
— Donald McRae (@donaldgmcrae) January 12, 2025
• Reem Abulleil, who writes about tennis for The Arab News, profiled Lebanon’s Hady Habib following his history-making Grand Slam main draw victory at the Australian Open on Sunday.
Hady Habib: I walked by Ons & she congratulated me & I was extremely happy to see a fellow Arab player acknowledging my win, it means the world. Esp what she’s done for Tunisian & Arab tennis. Also seeing Aziz do well. I really hope he gets the win as wellhttps://t.co/MT82nqsVi9
— Reem Abulleil (@ReemAbulleil) January 12, 2025
By the numbers
World No. 418 Kasidit Samrej of Thailand made history Tuesday afternoon as just the third Thai player to compete in a Grand Slam men’s singles match in the Open Era. Samrej, 23, earned a wild card into the main draw through four rounds of the Australian Open Asia/Pacific wild card playoff last November. He faced a Top 50 player for the first time in three-time Australian Open finalist and current World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev of Russia on Rod Laver Arena – and went five sets before losing, 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, in three hours and eight minutes.
For over a decade, Thai tennis has lingered in obscurity, its golden era a fading memory. The electrifying days of Paradorn Srichaphan and Danai Udomchoke, when the sport captivated a nation, seemed lost in time.
Read more: https://t.co/LBjCeBlHnN#ThaiPBSWorld #ThailandNews… pic.twitter.com/4k77GiDUov
— Thai PBS World (@ThaiPBSWorld) January 10, 2025
“Quotable …”
“Probably overly hydrated, mixing a lot of electrolytes.
“It’s 11 a.m. It’s a tough time. We played for four hours. All of lunch we are playing through it. We ate at 10am. I mean, playing 11am, three out of five, wasn’t too happy about that, to be honest with you. I feel like it’s really tough to prepare.
“Still not feeling great, but at the same time you do feel great because you get to see another day. So you feel even worse if you’re feeling like this and you’re out of the tournament.
“I’m still in. So I’m going to sleep tonight with a little chuckle on my face, for sure.”
– Men’s No. 17 seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States, who gutted out a 5-set first-round victory over No. 61 Arthur Rinderknech of France Monday afternoon, during his post-match news conference, explaining his sickness on court. It occurred during the 12th game of the fourth set of the four-hour, eight-minute match on 1573 Arena.
Big Foe survives a big scare!
The American No.17 seed holds his nerve to take the fifth and deciding set – and his place in the second round!
He defeats Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(2) 6-3 4-6 6-7(4) 6-3@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis • #AusOpen • #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/IdJXGJ8Huz
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2025