Nick Kyrgios’ Australian Open odds steady despite Brisbane exit

Nick Kyrgios remains on the seventh line of betting across most tennis bookmakers ahead of the 2025 Australian Open, despite losing in the first round of the Brisbane International on Tuesday.

The Australian, who was playing in his first Tour-level match since June 2023, came up against fellow big server Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

The clash was a classic serving affair – 51 aces and just four break points in total – with the Frenchman prevailing 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (3) in two hours and 27 minutes.

Afterwards, Kyrgios confessed that a cloud of uncertainty still hangs over his wrist, which he underwent reconstructive surgery on in 2023.

“It’s all really an experimental kind of thing,” he said.

“The surgeon said, ‘If you ever go back and play at this level again, it’s on you guys.’

“I don’t really have any protocol of how it’s going to be or how it’s going to pull up.

“So me and my physio, we are taking it as it comes.

“If we can get through a match, we get through a match.

“How it pulls up tomorrow, I have no idea.

“It’s throbbing like shit right now.”

Prior to Kyrgios’ injury, he was playing the best tennis of his life, making the Wimbledon final and US Open quarter-finals in 2022.

As a result, Picklebet still has him at $41 to win the Australian Open, which begins on January 12 in Melbourne.

However, the 29-year-old himself is now uncertain of his participation in the year’s first Grand Slam.

“I was really excited for the Australian Open, but after today – obviously I’m super excited,” he said.

“If I’m able to play, I’m able to play – but the reality kind of set in to me.

“That’s a best-of-three match with my wrist.

“Not only is a Grand Slam mentally really draining, you’re there for two-and-a-half, three weeks, physically a grind.

“It’s one of the hardest things to do in any sport, to win a Grand Slam in men’s tennis.

“I think I almost need a miracle and I need the stars to align for my wrist to hold up in a Grand Slam for sure.

“Today, if this was a Grand Slam, we may still be out on court, and I don’t know how I’d pull up the next day or the day after.

“Yeah, that’s kind of the reality setting in.”

Kyrgios is due to play doubles on Wednesday afternoon alongside former world No.1 Novak Djokovic, with the duo slight favourites against top seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus.