Nick Kyrgios showcased his trademark serve, net play, and powerful forehand in Stuttgart, raising hopes that his latest comeback might last longer than a fortnight. The 31-year-old Australian defeated world No. 36 Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-4 in 69 minutes, marking his first singles win since January.
A Promising Start
Kyrgios, a Wimbledon finalist in 2022 before a series of injuries derailed his career, is currently focused on the grass-court season. "Quite an emotional moment. I had a lot of surgeries and I'm very thrilled to be back," he said. "I had a wrist reconstruction, I had four knee surgeries. But I'm back mostly because of the fans. I'm staying for you guys."
The win over Moutet was a solid start, even though the Frenchman had lost his last five matches. Kyrgios sealed the first set with an ace and the second with a forehand winner after another powerful serve.
Injury Woes
Kyrgios had not played a singles match since January in Brisbane, and before that, since March 2025. He has won only one singles match since October 2022, largely due to a litany of injuries, including knee and wrist problems. He has also played seven doubles matches in that period.
Next Challenge
Kyrgios will face Sho Shimabukuro of Japan, ranked 101, in the next round. It will be their first meeting, scheduled for Thursday local time. Before that, he has a doubles match with Alexander Bublik against Jakub Paul and Ryan Seggerman on Wednesday.
Other Aussies in Action
Fellow Australians James Duckworth and Rinky Hijikata also won in Stuttgart. Duckworth defeated German teenager Diego Dedura 6-4, 6-3, while Hijikata overcame another local wildcard, Tom Gentzsch, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3. Duckworth will face fourth seed Jiri Lehecka, and Hijikata meets sixth seed Frances Tiafoe.
