Kyrgios to play exhibition with Rune in late May; confirms for Laver Cup in September

The Australian has not played on the tour in 2023 after injuring his knee and undergoing surgery for the same in January

Nick Kyrgios during an exhibition match against Novak Djokovic ahead of the 2023 Australian Open Image Credit: Zuma / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

April 25, 2023

Nick Kyrgios, one of the biggest crowd-pullers in the sport, will return to the sport next month. The Australian, who has been out of action this year after injuring his knee and undergoing surgery in January, will play an exhibition against Danish teen Holger Rune in Copenhagen on May 24.

It is not certain if Kyrgios will play any other events on the tour prior to that or if he will play Roland-Garros, which he had expressed his desire to play this year.

In an interview to Tennis Majors, Rune had said he was looking forward to the match up against Kyrgios which he believes willl help build the profile of the sport in his country.

“As a tennis freak, the more attention tennis gets in Denmark, the happier I am. What will help even more is the exhibition match in Copenhagen with me and Nick Kyrgios on May 24. It is a great feeling to attract more people to tennis and this match will certainly help,” the 19-year-old said.

“A kid from Canberra representing the world, it’s pretty special and I’m ready to go to battle” – Kyrgios

The reigning Wimbledon runner-up has also confirmed that he will join Team World in the Laver Cup in Vancouver in September this year, after missing the tournament in 2022.

“I’m pumped to be a part of Team World,” Kyrgios said as per a press release from the tournament. “As I’ve said many times before, a kid from Canberra representing the world, it’s pretty special and I’m ready to go to battle.”

Team World won the tournament for the first time last year, and Kyrgios said he hopes he can add to the team and do a repeat in 2023.

“The fact that Team World finally got one on the board is amazing,” said the 27-year-old. “I’ve been a part of the team four times and we came up short after being close so many times. The fact that now we know we can do it is a special thing. Hopefully, I can just add to that team, not change the spirit up too much, just add some positive vibes and see if we can get it done again.”

Kyrgios joins Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Americans Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe in Team World under captain John McEnroe.

“Nick is one of the most talented guys on tour,” said McEnroe. “We saw the level of tennis he’s capable of last year at Wimbledon and we’re all looking forward to seeing him on the court again soon. He brings great energy and passion. I’m excited to have him back on the team in Vancouver.”