'Nick Kyrgios will have a shot at Australian Open, he looks sharp,' says Lleyton Hewitt

Unlike in 2020, the Australian ATP Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt will not have Nick Kyrgios in his team, with the Canberra native competing at the ATP 250 event.

Hewitt and Kyrgios had left their past problems, and former world no. 1 have attended Nick's recent practice sessions, saying he hits the ball flat and hard. Nick hasn't played since February last year and will return at this week's ATP 250 event in Melbourne, recharging batteries and eager to compete again.

Lleyton understands that Nick needs some time on the court before embracing the best-of-five action in two weeks, although he sees him as a contender as long as his serve works well.

"I think for Nick, having a bit of a break away from the sport, for his body and mind, is a good thing. He looks to be hitting the ball well, clean, and he relies on his serve and is serving big at the moment. I think it's important for Nick to get some of those nerves out of the way this week and prepare for the Australian Open. Because he hasn't played a match for so long, though, it's not going to be easy for him.

Trying to switch it on for five-set tennis when you haven't played for nearly a year isn't going to be easy. Still, he is hitting the ball well enough to push deep in the Australian Open for sure," Lleyton Hewitt said.