Nick Kyrgios could come back and win big events in void left by Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal & Andy Murray, believes Wally Masur

Australian coach Wally Masur believes former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios can make a comeback and win big tournaments in the absence of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.

Kyrgios is attempting to return to professional tennis as soon as possible. He is currently recovering from a knee injury that forced him to miss most of the tournaments this year, including the Australian Open, the Wimbledon Championships, the French Open, and the US Open.

Masur recently attended the draw ceremony for the 2024 United Cup and stated that the Aussie can win big titles after returning, as Federer is retired, Nadal is out of action, and Murray is struggling with a hip injury, though Novak Djokovic remains a threat.

"Roger has retired, Rafa is a little busted and Andy is playing with one hip, so the big four have been pretty much dismantled, although Novak is obviously still there, so there are opportunities (for Kyrgios to come back and win big events)," Masur said. (Quotes via News.com.au)

"I thought it might have been the next group of Taylor Fritz and Stefanos Tsitsipas, but Carlos Alcaraz has been the one who has busted through and emerged," he added.

However, the former Australian Davis Cup captain stated that it all depends on Nick Kyrgios' 'motivation' and how well his body copes, adding that he is 'crucial' for Australian and international tennis, so having him back would be 'good.'

"Can Nick come back and play a part in all this? Absolutely, because anyone who serves like that is always competitive. He might even have the best serve in the game right now," Masur said.

"Can he do it? Yes, but it probably comes down to motivation and making sure his body doesn’t let him down. He’s pretty crucial for Australian and world tennis, so it would be good to have him back," he added.

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Nick Kyrgios drops off ATP Rankings

Nick Kyrgios pictured at a tennis tournament

Nick Kyrgios has only played one match in 2023, at the Stuttgart Open in June, where he was eliminated in the first round by Yibing Wu. On top of that, his last ATP Tour win came over a year ago at the Japan Open, where he eventually gave a walkover to Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinal.

The Aussie missed the North American hardcourt swing this year, where most of his points came in 2022 as he won the Citi Open and reached the quarterfinal of the US Open.

As a result, Nick Kyrgios fell to 469th in the world rankings following the New York Slam this year, and the remaining points (90), which came at the Asian swing last year, have now been deducted.