Australian Open: Kyrgios out from the start

Australian troublemaker Nick Kyrgios lost on Monday in the first round of the Australian Open, beaten by Briton Jacob Fearnley for his expected return to the Grand Slam after more than two years of absence due to injuries. The darling of the local public, entered directly into the final draw thanks to a protected ranking, was beaten 7-6 (7/3), 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) by the 92nd player in the world. In the next round, Fearnley will face Frenchman Arthur Cazaux (78th), who reached the round of 16 in Melbourne in 2024 and emerged victorious on Monday in a five-set duel against Argentinian Sebastian Baez (28th). Finalist at Wimbledon in 2022, Kyrgios had not played a match in a major tournament since the US Open of the same year, where he lost in the quarter-finals against Russian Karen Khachanov.

Forced to rest by knee and wrist injuries, the former world number 13 played only one match on the ATP circuit in 2023, and none in 2024. For his return to the courts at the end of December, he was already inclined from his entry into contention in the first round of the ATP 500 in Brisbane, but had managed to get through a doubles round alongside Serbian star Novak Djokovic. A few days before the Australian Open, Kyrgios revealed he was suffering from an abdominal strain.