Kyrgios after his first victory since 2022: "I didn't feel confident facing anyone"

Nick Kyrgios had been eagerly awaiting this moment. In the first round of the Miami Masters 1000, the Australian defeated Mackenzie McDonald (3-6, 6-3, 6-4). Now ranked 892nd in the world, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist secured his first win in two and a half years since his victory over Kamil Majchrzak in Tokyo (3-6, 6-2, 6-2). Struggling with knee and wrist injuries, he has emerged from two nearly blank seasons on the tour.

Before facing Karen Khachanov in the next round for an enticing matchup, Kyrgios gave an on-court interview after his win and shared his initial feelings, oscillating between relief and fear of no longer being able to perform at this level in official competition.

"I thought I would never play tennis again, to be completely honest with you. I had discussions with my team, guys who leave their families to be here with me. I told them, 'Listen, I don't know how long I can keep doing this.'

These kinds of victories give you a bit more fuel in the tank, but I have to be realistic. I'll see how my wrist feels tomorrow. Honestly, I saw the draw and didn't feel confident facing anyone. The way my wrist has been over the last six months hasn't been great.

But I guess this win against Mackenzie allowed me to leverage my experience. He's a very good player. He's so crafty, he really caught me off guard. I wasn't used to that ball speed.

It's been a long journey, just to have the certainty of starting matches, knowing I was afraid I might not be able to finish them. But to come out and win and feel like I belong again, it's really special," said the Australian, a former world No. 13.