"I'm expected to win, which is bulls**t" - Nick Kyrgios paints real picture of what his level will be once he returns to action after wrist injury

Nick Kyrgios has suggested that it would be wrong for people to expect him to perform at his best once he makes his comeback. The Australian has had to face a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to a severe wrist injury that required surgical intervention.

Kyrgios' last outing came in a humiliating 7-5, 6-3 first-round loss to Wu Yibing at the 2023 BOSS Open in Stuttgart. It was his sole appearance on the ATP Tour last year. Prior to this, he had spent several months out after undergoing an arthroscopy on his left knee.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist was hopeful of being ready for last year's edition of the grasscourt Major. However, ahead of the tournament, a fresh injury struck. This time around, he had torn a ligament in his right wrist, and had no option but to withdraw.

The former World No. 13 has repeatedly suggested that he is eyeing a return to action in 2024, but is yet to confirm where he will eventually make his comeback.

Recently, Nick Kyrgios told The Canberra Times that some will expect him to straightaway get back to his best once he returns. However, according to him, such expectations make no sense.

"I'm expected to go win, which is bulls**t in my opinion. There will be players on tour that are ranked 40th in the world and if I play them in a first round they'll say, 'Oh Kyrgios should win in straight sets.' The majority of people don't understand. Everyone else is like, 'Play for another five years.' They couldn't last one day," Kyrgios said.

The talented but often controversial Australian challenged people expecting great things from his comeback to put themselves in his shoes. He stated that it would be a "bonus" if he can start playing at a good level following his return.

"I'd say come train with me for a week and see how you enjoy it and then tell me to do that for another five years. It's not like I hit for half an hour and then go win matches. Just getting out there and playing at a decent level again would be a bonus," he added.

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"No one has really come back from an injury like this before" - Nick Kyrgios

In the same interview, Nick Kyrgios opened up about the "brutal" nature of the rehabilitation process following his wrist surgery. According to the 29-year-old, the wrist ligament injury he suffered while practicing for the 2023 Wimbledon Championships is not a "common injury."

Nick Kyrgios - Getty Images

The Australian also expressed his astonishment at having been able to return at least to practicing.

"The process has honestly been brutal. The surgery was almost 10 months ago and it's not a very common injury, so we are experimenting (with) how much we can push it. No one has really come back from an injury like this before. To now, being back on court, it's pretty surreal," Kyrgios said.

Nick Kyrgios' lengthy spell away from tennis has caused him to drop out entirely from the ATP Tour rankings. However, he does have a protected ranking (PR) of 21, which he can use for nine months following his comeback.