Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios is set to make his comeback at the Australian Open after securing a spot in the main draw using his protected ranking. Kyrgios, who has been absent from the tour for nearly two years, will join five other male and female players in using a protected ranking at Melbourne Park.
The 29-year-old, who was the Wimbledon runner-up in 2022, will first compete in the World Tennis League exhibition in Abu Dhabi and then play at the Brisbane International before heading to Melbourne Park, where he’s among 10 Australian men guaranteed a main draw spot.
On the women’s side, only Olivia Gadecki has secured direct entry into the main draw, coming in as world number 96. Others such as Daria Saville, Ajla Tomljanovic, Kimberly Birrell, and Maya Joint are expected to receive wildcards, bypassing the qualifying rounds in January.
Tournament director Craig Tiley had initially offered Kyrgios a wildcard back in October, but with his protected ranking, that wildcard can be allocated elsewhere. The main draw cut-off was at world number 98 for both men and women, with eight wildcards and 16 qualifying spots available for each.
On the other hand, Bernard Tomic faces a challenge as he targets his first Australian Open appearance since 2021. Tomic was dealt a new setback with reports indicating he will not receive a wildcard for the Brisbane International qualifiers. The 32-year-old, currently ranked 214, remains focused on the Australian Open qualifiers, but his ranking doesn’t guarantee him a spot in the Brisbane International’s qualifying rounds, which features star players like 24-time grand slam champion Novak Djokovic.
Tournament director Cam Pearson mentioned that awarding Tomic a wildcard would be “pretty tough” given the competition, with several Aussie players ranked higher than Tomic just outside the main draw cut-off. There are 11 Australian players within the top 200 rankings, making the wildcard allocation decisions challenging for the Brisbane International.