<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>335934</docID> <postdate>2024-12-28 15:51:18</postdate> <headline>Kyrgios draws rising French star in Brisbane comeback</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-335935" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/20241115141049751244-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="620" /></p> <caption>It's time for Nick Kyrgios to put his game face back on ahead of his comeback in Brisbane. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Joel Gould</strong> in Brisbane</span></p> <p><strong>Nick Kyrgios will make his long-awaited return to competitive tennis at the Brisbane International when he takes on 21-year-old Frenchman Giovanni Perricard.</strong></p> <p>It will be the first tour-level appearance by Kyrgios since the Stuttgart Open in June, 2023.</p> <p>The 29-year-old has been mostly sidelined with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries since the 2022 US Open quarter-finals.</p> <p>His first-round opponent Perricard, the world No.31, will be no pushover according to former Australian tennis star John Millman.</p> <p>"I think everyone is excited to see Nick back in action," Millman said.</p> <p>"He is up against the young Frenchman Giovanni Perricard who had his breakthrough in Basel where he won the 500 at the end of the year.</p> <p>"They were different conditions in the indoor (to Brisbane) but if you haven't seen Giovanni play he has an absolute rocket of a serve. We know Nick does but Perricard does also. That is going to be a feature match."</p> <p>Kyrgios, who won the Brisbane International in 2018, will partner superstar Novak Djokovic in the doubles.</p> <p>While at Wimbledon this year working in commentary, Kyrgios hit with former world No.1 Djokovic with the record-setting Serb proving an unlikely source of inspiration.</p> <p>"I was hitting with Novak and when he said to me, 'It doesn't look like you've had surgery', and that was a big motivation to say like maybe I'm actually making some inroads and some progress into getting back because I didn't really know.</p> <p>"That was a big drive for me … so, if he didn't say that, I don't know if I would have been motivated and if I would have kept pushing on the thought, but that was definitely a big part of the journey when he said that to me."</p> <p>Djokovic is the No.1 seed at the Brisbane International and will play Australia's Rinky Hijikata in the opening round.</p> <p>Kyrgios and Djokovic are in the top half of the draw and are not slated to play each other until the semi-finals should they both win through.</p> <p>Australia's Jordan Thompson, the No.26 in the world, has a tough opening draw against Italy's Matteo Berrettini.</p> <p>"Yeah it's a tough one. He's been playing great tennis. He broke our hearts at Davis Cup against Thanasi (Kokkinakis)," Thompson said.</p> <p>"He's got a big game and is a Wimbledon finalist and US Open semi-finalist</p> <p>"When you play tennis you have to beat whoever is in front of you to win the tournament anyway."</p> </body>