‘There’s still fire in the belly’: Nick Kyrgios announces tennis comeback

Aussie sporting star Nick Kyrgios is gearing up for a long-awaited return to the tennis court, telling fans he’s preparing to give them something “to cheer about”.

After a prolonged absence from the court due to injury, the former Wimbledon finalist announced that he is eager to reignite his career during a recent appearance on The AO Show podcast.

“I’ll be back on court soon and I’ll give you a little bit more to cheer about, that’s for sure,” the 28-year-old said.

“It’s arguably been one of the hardest years of my life tennis wise.

“Everything else has been amazing, I can’t complain about anything else. But tennis wise, I’ve had some really hard conversations with myself … like why am I doing all this? Like I don’t have to do it, but I’m doing it for some reason.

“So I know there’s still fire in the belly, which is good.”

Despite briefly exploring other interests such as tennis commentary during this year’s Australian Open, Kyrgios expressed eagerness to return to his primary passion.

“I’m hitting for the first time next week, so as soon as I get back out on court, I guess it’s just going to be starting up, getting that load back through my wrist and my body,” he said.

“But look, I definitely will be coming back. It’s just hard to put an exact date on it because the injury was quite severe.

“I’m getting to the point of my career where I know that I’ve had a lot of success and many athletes don’t even have a quarter the success of that, so it’s selfish for me to come back and demand to be making Wimbledon finals again.

“I’m going to take my time, come back and just enjoy being back out there.”

As Kyrgios prepares for his comeback, fans are no doubt eagerly anticipating his return to the court, keen to witness his trademark flair and explosive gameplay once again.

One person who is certainly eager to see Kyrgios step on the court once again is Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner who recently offered a vote of confidence to the sidelined Kyrgios, urging the tennis maverick to make a grand comeback to the court.

Sinner, who clinched his first Grand Slam title at this year’s Australian Open after an extraordinary five-set comeback against Daniil Medvedev, took a moment to express his admiration for Kyrgios following his win.

The 22-year-old, basking in the glory of his triumph, insisted that the sport needed Kyrgios back in action.

“I think, what’s for sure, everyone is missing you,” Sinner told Kyrgios at the time.

“You are this kind of player you don’t see around so often. Your game style, your way how to behave on court, and those kind of things, you are different, no? And this kind of player we need.

“So I hope you are getting back – I’m missing you. It was a great emotion to see you after my second-round match, so I hope to see you back as soon as possible.

“And, also, you are potential grand slam champion – and I think you know it, so keep it up.”

-with AAP.