The tournament director for the 2024 Australian Open has confirmed that Nick Kyrgios is aiming to return to the sport at the Grand Slam in January.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist has been absent for a majority of the 2023 season due to injuries. He was forced to withdraw from last year's Melbourne major due to a knee injury and went on to miss the French Open before attempting to make a comeback at the Stuttgart Open in June.

However, he was eliminated in the first round by Wu Yibing and withdrew from Wimbledon and the US Open in the following weeks after tearing a ligament in his wrist.

After months of speculation around whether or not the Australian player would choose to retire as a date for his return remained unknown, director Craig Tiley revealed that Kyrgios is preparing to begin his comeback at his home Slam.

"The one thing great about Nick – he’s very transparent and very open about what he’s feeling and what he thinks … I personally believe in the communication that he’s motivated to come back and play in January," Tiley said.

"He loves playing, he loves playing here in front of his crowd, and he knows everyone wants him to play … it’s just a matter of his health. He’s had a significant injury and in many cases for many athletes it can be a career-ending injury.

"He’s in the process of still getting over that, and I fully expect him to be here and be ready to play and provide us with the entertainment we want," he added.

Meanwhile, Rafael Nadal is also set to return to the Tour at the Australian Open after injury and surgery saw him miss a lot of last season while Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber are preparing to come back to the sport in Melbourne after welcoming baby daughters earlier in 2023.