Tennis news - Nick Kyrgios to miss ATP Cup in Melbourne next month, forced to play ATP 250 event

ByEurosport

Updated 06/01/2021 at 11:09 GMT

Nick Kyrgios will miss out on the most high profile Australian Open warm-up, the ATP Cup, featuring Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, with his 11-month inactivity meaning Alex de Minaur and John Millman have climbed above him in the world rankings to take the spots in the Australian team under captain Lleyton Hewitt next month.

Nick Kyrgios

Image credit: Getty Images

Nick Kyrgios will not be part of the Australia team for next month's ATP Cup, featuring Novak Djokovic and Rafa Nadal, as his inactivity has seen him drop below two of his compatriots in the world rankings.

Kyrgios, a vocal critic of the behaviour of tournaments going ahead and players' off-court behaviour during the Covid-19 pandemic, has played just one ATP event, in Acapulco in February, since last year's Australian Open.

In Melbourne, back in January 2020, he lost out to Nadal in a competitive four-set battle.

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With teams being chosen based on world rankings, fellow Aussies, Alex de Minaur (23) and John Milman (38), will play in the singles rubbers instead of the 46th-ranked Krygios under the captaincy of Lleyton Hewitt.

The tournament, which takes place in Melbourne on February 1-5, will involve 12 countries divided into four groups of three with winners qualifying for the semi-finals.

Krygios will instead play one of the ATP 250 events being held in Melbourne before the first Grand Slam event of 2021 begins on February 8.