'Bad boy' Nick Kyrgios makes a brilliant return, winning his first grass-court match since 2022.

The journey of "Nick the Mad" to return to tennis after a severe wrist injury is still full of obstacles.

Nick Kyrgios He made a promising comeback by defeating Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the 2026 Stuttgart Open, which concluded in the early hours of June 10 Vietnam time.

On his favored grass courts in Germany, the Australian showed many positive signs in the playing style that once made him one of the most watchable names in world tennis. His powerful serves, effective net play, and strong forehands helped Kyrgios control the match against Moutet—an opponent equally skilled and full of tricks, just like "Crazy Nick".

Although playing on his preferred surface, this was Kyrgios's first grass-court victory since July 6, 2022—when the Australian "bad boy" defeated Cristian Garin in the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The Greek-born player later benefited from Rafael Nadal's withdrawal to reach his first Grand Slam singles final, before losing to Novak Djokovic in the biggest match of his career.

Furthermore, this was Kyrgios's first tour-level victory in over a year, since his triumphant win over Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the Miami Open. Since the end of the 2022 season, Kyrgios has struggled with injuries—playing only one match in 2023, missing the entire 2024 season, and then playing a few matches in 2025 and 2026.

At 31, Kyrgios still has a chance to prolong his career. However, the biggest question now remains his body's ability to recover after consecutive years disrupted by injuries. Knee and wrist issues are the most serious problems, which have made it nearly impossible for the Australian to compete in recent times.

In the next round, Kyrgios will face Japanese player Sho Shimabukuro, ranked 101st in the world, who also plays very well on grass thanks to his fast and direct style. This will be the first meeting between the two on the ATP Tour. Additionally, Kyrgios will compete in doubles with Alexander Bublik, against the pair of Jakub Paul and Ryan Seggerman.