Nick Kyrgios confirmed for ATP Tour return after Battle of the Sexes exhibition

Nick Kyrgios has been given a wildcard for next month’s Brisbane International, marking the first time he will appear on the ATP Tour in 10 months.

Kyrgios, who is featuring in the controversial Battle of the Sexes exhibition against women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka in Dubai on 28 December, has not played an official ATP match since the Miami Open in March, a loss to Karen Khachanov.

The Australian has struggled with injury and fitness issues over the last three years, with his ranking dropping to 673 in the world, but the 30-year-old is slated in for the ATP 250 event in Brisbane and the Kooyong Classic exhibition in Melbourne, a week prior to the Australian Open.

However, Kyrgios is relying on a wildcard to feature at the first Grand Slam of the season at Melbourne Park, as he no longer has a protected ranking.

Kyrgios played just five matches in 2025 due to injury and pulled out of Wimbledon and the US Open. He lost to British player Jacob Fearnley at last year’s Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios insists that Sabalenka “will not beat him” as the pair recently looked ahead to their Battle of the Sexes contest on Sunday in the UAE.

“Getting to know her, she’s definitely a character,” Kyrgios said a few months ago. “I’m super excited for that. I think she’s the type of player who genuinely thinks she’s going to win.

“She [Sabalenka] is not gonna beat me. Do you really think I have to try 100 per cent? I’m gonna try. Because I’m representing the men’s side. I’d say like 6-2 maybe.

“I’m not going to go there and say, ‘Oh, she’s so good, I can’t play this.’ That would make me look so bad. I’d imagine the internet would go crazy — go bananas.

“I mean, our serves, women can’t really return those,” Kyrgios also claimed. “And then we can just chip and drop shot. I think I’m going to be okay. I’m going to go there, and I don’t want her to win. That’s for sure.”

In the original 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs, with King’s victory in Houston going down as one of the most famous matches of all time.

This year’s Battle of the Sexes exhibition will be broadcast live on BBC One.