After a long injury lay-off, Australian Nick Kyrgios turned heads as he made his long-awaited return to the tennis court in a doubles match with Naomi Osaka.

Nick Kyrgios gave a tribute to Kobe Bryant alongside Naomi Osaka in New York

Nick Kyrgios made his return to the tennis court after a near two-year absence from action as he played alongside Naomi Osaka – while wearing a Kobe Bryant jersey. The Australian star and his doubles partner both took part in the tribute to the NBA icon as they demonstrated their talents in New York.

The former world No. 13 has been nursing a succession of injuries since requiring surgery on a knee problem on the eve of the 2023 Australian Open. Since then, a subsequent foot issue prevented him from his return at the French Open, before a wrist injury ruled him out of Wimbledon – leaving him sidelined into 2024.

However, the 29-year-old re-emerged from his long layoff at the US Open Mixed Madness as he played out an entertaining match with Osaka at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The pair were unable to get past Taylor Fritz and Amanda Anisimova in the clash but turned heads with their choice of attire.

Demonstrating their admiration for the late Bryant, Kyrgios and Osaka donned the famous No.8 jersey wore by the NBA legend during his 20 years with the Los Angeles Lakers. In the case of the former, he wore a yellow jersey, while his partner on court wore some navy Lakers merchandise.

The Australian firebrand appears energized by the prospect of making a return to tennis in recent times, having teased another leg of his comeback at the upcoming Ultimate Tennis Showdown in New York recently. Taking to social media, the one-time Wimbledon runner-up said: “Hey guys, it’s NK here.

Nick Kyrgios has had a long injury layoff as he made his return in New York (Image: Getty)

“I just want to inform everyone that keeps up with the UTS or any tennis fan out there that I will be competing on the 22nd of August at the Forest Hill Stadium in New York,” he continued, before saying: “I know it’s been a long time but my body is finally ready to get back out there and have some fun.

“I will see if I’m still able to go up against some of the best players in the world starting off with my old rival Casper Ruud. Casper, please take it easy on me. I can’t wait to be out there again competing in front of all the amazing fans and hopefully I can still bring some life to the sport.”

Speaking previously about the demands of being sidelined through injury, the Aussie star acknowledged that he has found the period particularly challenging, admitting: “The last 11 months was brutal. Genuinely thought I wasn’t ever gonna play again. But this raw athlete doesn’t give up.”

Previously, Novak Djokovic revealed that his peer had looked sharp during one practice session at Wimbeldon. Recalling that encounter with his rival, he said: “He hit a really good serve, and he said, ‘Well, I might come back at the US Open.’ So I don’t know if he was joking about it or not. But let me tell you, he’s hitting the ball as good as ever, really.

Still no stranger to speaking his mind on the major talking points in the sport, Kyrgios waded into the debate after it emerged that world No. 1 Jannick Sinner has been cleared of a ban after failing to anti-doping tests. International Tennis Integrity unit ruled that the player was found to have committed “no fault or negligence”.

Giving his verdict, the outspoken star said on Twitter/X: “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice’.”