Nick Kyrgios continues doubles run with Alexander Bublik in Stuttgart after singles exit

Nick Kyrgios was eliminated from the singles main draw at the Stuttgart Open, but his run in the tournament was far from over after he went on to secure a victory in doubles alongside Alexander Bublik. The 2022 Australian Open doubles champion continues to progress in the draw, this time in doubles, as he rebuilds competitive rhythm on his return to action.

The Australian had made his return to singles competition for the first time in almost six months, with his last singles appearance coming at the Brisbane International earlier in January. That comeback ended in defeat against Alexander Kovacevic in the singles draw, highlighting the physical challenge of returning to match intensity after a long absence.

However, with his physical condition still carefully managed, the former Wimbledon finalist shifted focus to doubles, having already competed in Brisbane and the Australian Open in doubles with Thanasi Kokkinakis, as well as an eye-catching mixed doubles partnership with Leylah Fernandez in Melbourne.

Since then, Kyrgios had not appeared in official competition until his return in Stuttgart, where he secured a first-round doubles victory.

Nick Kyrgios returned to grass for the first time in three years at the ATP 250 Stuttgart Open and made an immediate impact, producing a straight-sets win over Corentin Moutet. The Australian secured a 6-3, 6-4 victory, marking his first win since March 2026 and underlining a positive step in his return despite recent injury concerns.

Still not fully convincing physically, Kyrgios returned to court on Thursday morning to compete in singles against Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro (No. 104). After nearly two hours of play, he failed to convert a one-set lead and eventually lost 6-4, 6-7(5), 4-6 in a tight contest decided by key moments, with the Japanese player holding firm under pressure.

Despite the singles defeat, Kyrgios’ Stuttgart campaign continued later in the day in doubles, where he partnered with Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. The Kazakh, who has limited doubles experience, used the grass transition to team up with Kyrgios, aiming to build match rhythm during a short grass-court swing leading into Wimbledon.

The match featured Swiss player Jakub Paul (No. 71) and American Ryan Seggerman (No. 76), both recognised primarily as doubles specialists. The pair provided a strong tactical challenge for the unpredictable Kyrgios-Bublik duo, who nevertheless showed enough quality to remain competitive in a category they do not regularly prioritise.

Paul and Seggerman took the opening set 6-3 after 33 minutes, capitalising on consistent pressure. However, Kyrgios and Bublik responded in the second set, which swung in their favour 6-2 in under 20 minutes, setting up a decisive match tie-break.

The super tie-break to 10 points delivered a tense finish. Both pairs traded momentum, with Kyrgios and Bublik recovering from two mini-break deficits to stay in contention. At 6-6 in the breaker, the wildcard duo found their strongest level, winning four consecutive points to close out the match and advance to the quarter-finals.

Kyrgios and Bublik will now face alternates Daniil Glinka and Stefanos Sakellaridis in the quarter-finals, a pair also known more for their singles backgrounds but increasingly active in doubles competition. The matchup presents another opportunity for the wildcard duo to extend their unexpected run.

Should they progress further, they are projected to meet the third-seeded team of Nikola Mektić and Francisco Cabral, a significantly more established doubles pairing. Kyrgios and Bublik will return to court on Friday as they continue their short but high-profile Stuttgart campaign.