Australian Open begins January 12 in Melbourne, and the draws for the men’s and women’s singles are intriguing — and have thrown up some blockbuster first-round matches. The Athletic’s tennis writers,

FILE - Italy’s Jannik Sinner returns the ball to Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor during the Davis Cup final tennis match between Netherlands and Italy at the Martin Carpena Sports Hall in Malaga, southern Spain, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez, File)

Nick Kyrgios faces another injury setback in his planned return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open after an abdominal strain forced him to withdraw from an exhibition with Novak Djokovic this

Nick Kyrgios’ planned return to Grand Slam tennis at the Australian Open is in doubt after he sustained an abdominal injury and was forced to withdraw from an exhibition with Novak Djokovic this week.

Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from an exhibition event with Novak Djokovic scheduled for Thursday due to an abdominal strain, casting more doubt on the former Wimbledon finalist's chances of making his Australian Open comeback this month.