Australia Captain Lleyton Hewitt makes decision on Nick Kyrgios' Davis Cup return amid Cruz-Sinner controversy

Former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, now the captain of Team Australia for the Davis Cup, has announced the lineup for the qualifiers in February. Surprisingly, Nick Kyrgios has been included, marking his first appearance representing Australia since 2019.

Kyrgios last competed in the Davis Cup during the 2019 Finals, where Australia played in Group D of the Round Robin. He defeated Alejandro Gonzalez of Colombia and Steve Darcis of Belgium, both in straight sets. Although Australia advanced to the quarterfinals, an injury sidelined Kyrgios, and the team was subsequently eliminated.

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Since then, Kyrgios had not returned to the Australian team. The former World No. 13 participated in 11 ties between 2013 and 2019 but later admitted to feeling negativity and a lack of acceptance, leading him to decline representing his country. Instead, he opted to play in a lucrative exhibition in Saudi Arabia.

Just a day ago, Kyrgios sparked controversy with comments on an Instagram photo posted by Cruz Hewitt, the 16-year-old rising star and son of Lleyton. The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up was seemingly unhappy with the picture of Cruz alongside World No. 1 Jannik Sinner after a training session.

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Kyrgios, who has been among the most outspoken critics of Sinner following his doping case, commented on Cruz’s post with, “Love ya Cruz but this is wild,” followed by “cooked post” and a syringe emoji. The comments sparked backlash online, with many interpreting them as hostility toward the teenager.

However, it seems to have been taken in good spirits, as a video emerged of Kyrgios and Cruz training together in high spirits the following day. Regardless of the controversy, Hewitt appears unaffected by the drama and has decided to bring Kyrgios back for the upcoming Davis Cup tie, where Australia will face Sweden. Kyrgios joins a strong lineup headlined by Alex de Minaur (No. 8), Jordan Thompson (No. 26), and Thanasi Kokkinakis (No. 77).

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