Drawcard Nick Kyrgios is firming up to play at the Australian Open after visions of the star emerged in a practice session at Melbourne Park on Thursday.
The development comes as Kyrgios, 29, battles an abdominal injury that threatened to keep him out of the Grand Slam.
Kyrgios was set to line up alongside Novak Djokovic in an exhibition event on Thursday night after the pair dazzled fans at Pat Rafter Arena last week during the Brisbane International in doubles.
The polarizing Australian stated that after undergoing an ultrasound, doctors confirmed that he had suffered a grade one abdominal distension.
While fears have grown over his fitness, Kyrgios has since given fans hope of performing at Melbourne Park.
On Thursday afternoon, at the official draw for the Australian Open, Kyrgios was scheduled to face Britain's Jacob Fearnley in the first round.
Nick Kyrgios is firming up to play at the Australian Open after sight emerged of the star having a practice session at Melbourne Park on Thursday (pictured).
The development comes as Kyrgios, 29, battles an abdominal injury that threatened to keep him out of the Grand Slam.
While fears have been raised over his fitness, Kyrgios has now given fans hope that he will appear at Melbourne Park ahead of the first round on Sunday.
“I mean, look, I still have five days up my sleeve,” Kyrgios told 7News on Wednesday.
“I probably won't have to serve for the next few days, I have a couple of practices scheduled and I'll do everything I can.”
'It's not too serious…' I'll just take it day by day and give myself the best chance.
“Obviously playing a match, a set, with Novak is probably not the best preparation for me in trying to force that.
'I will do so accordingly. I know my body.'
Meanwhile, the 29-year-old has dragged tennis icon Roger Federer into his war of words with Andy Roddick.
Kyrgios has been outspoken on the issue of doping, in particular lashing out at world number one Jannik Sinner, who twice tested positive for the steroid clostebol in March last year.
Sinner then avoided a ban because the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined that he was not to blame for the infraction.
Last week, Kyrgios took aim at Cruz Hewitt when the 16-year-old posted a photo of him training with Sinner, posting the comments “I love you Cruz but this is wild,” “I thought we were boys” and “cooked post” with a needle emoji.
Former world tennis number one Andy Roddick (pictured) has branded Nick Kyrgios a hypocrite and a bully for his treatment of Cruz, the son of Jannik Sinner and Lleyton Hewitt.
Kyrgios has repeatedly lashed out at tennis bosses for not suspending Jannik Sinner after he returned two positive doping tests in 2024.
Jannik Sinner's team successfully demonstrated that the banned substance was transmitted in small doses during a massage and was not ingested intentionally.
That led to Roddick firing an ace in Kyrgios' direction through his served podcast.
'At this point he (Kyrgios) is a tennis influencer. “Live for the likes, live in the comments section,” Roddick said Wednesday.
“What bothers me is the hypocrisy with which he chooses when to judge others and at the same time wants you to digest the context of his comments; the last one was towards Cruz Hewitt, who practiced with Jannik Sinner.
'Kyrgios has been Jannik Sinner's most outspoken critic after his failed doping test. So Cruz Hewitt is 16 years old, son of Lleyton… he will be able to bat with a guy who is the number one in the world at the Australian Open. That's a big problem.
'Imagine that a man of almost 30 years old enters the comments of a boy of 16 who is the best player in the world.
'To then just post a picture and then have this guy come into the comments and make it all about himself. “I thought we were brothers.”
'The defense was that it was a joke. The lack of awareness is ridiculous.”
Roddick, who won the US Open in 2003, wasn't done yet, referencing Kyrgios pleading guilty to assaulting his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari in 2021 after a heated argument.
In a subsequent guilty plea no criminal conviction was recorded.
Nick Kyrgios appears in the photo with his ex-girlfriend Chiara Passari. He pleaded guilty to pushing her to the ground when he appeared in court on an assault charge in 2023.
“When you have moments in your life that aren't the best,” Roddick said, referring to Canberra's breakout star.
'When you plead guilty to physically assaulting your girlfriend, but you want people to understand the context.
“You wanted people to understand your moment in time and in your life that didn't make it acceptable, but at least maybe say 'this is not who I am, this is not what I do; I'm not an abuser even though plead guilty to abuse'.”
Roddick went on to say that Kyrgios has complained about mental health issues and online harassment, but doesn't seem to realize that he is engaging in similar conduct with his online behavior.
'It's just hypocritical. “It's pure hypocrisy,” he said.
Roddick has a different view of the violations committed by Sinner and former women's world number one Iga Swiatek, stating: “They're not even doping, just contaminated substances and billionths of a gram tests.”
“Some of the players are chirping about these champions who are going to be hall of famers, when they've never worked together two good days simultaneously in their lives.”
After Roddick's strong words went viral, Kyrgios responded in Xasking on Thursday: 'Does Roddick have anything to say about Federer?
After Roddick's strong words went viral, Kyrgios responded on X and asked: 'Does Roddick have anything to say about Federer?
It was in reference to Federer stating that he “understands the frustration” when it comes to Sinner escaping a doping ban (pictured is Federer, with Princess Kate at Wimbledon).
The tweet, which also included a series of crying emojis, was a reference to the Swiss maestro stating last year that he “understands the frustration” when it comes to Sinner escaping a ban.
'It's not something we want to see in our sport, regardless of whether he did something or not. Or any player did it. It's just noise we don't want.' Federer said in September.
'I understand the frustration of: Has he (Sinner) been treated the same as everyone else?
And I think this is where it all comes down. We were all quite confident in the end, he didn't do anything.
“But the inconsistency, potentially, that he didn't have to sit down while they weren't 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that's the question that needs answering.”