Nick Kyrgios was beaten in straight sets in just 65 minutes in the Brisbane International as Cameron Norrie won

The 30-year-old, ranked 28th in the world, lost eight of his first nine matches against Humbert, ranked 36th, but saved three consecutive match points in the second set tiebreak to take the match to a decider.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios is now ranked 670th and is aiming to build his fitness so he can earn a wildcard for the Australian Open, which starts on January 18 in Melbourne, after suffering a series of serious injuries in recent years.

Kyrgios appeared to hold his elbow due to discomfort during the match with Kovacevic, ranked 58th, and was able to win a point with one of his excellent serves in the second set.

“This is a starting point,” Kyrgios said after the match.

“As long as I feel good and I’ll be able to try to use it as a building block, obviously that’s my goal, not just the Australian Open, but this year, whatever this year holds, I want to keep playing as much as I can.”

The loss will not help Kyrgios’ hopes of playing in his first Grand Slam tournament since his first-round defeat to Briton Jacob Fearnley in the tournament, which was held on his home soil in 2025.

He will then play in the men’s doubles on Wednesday with his Australian partner, Greek Thanasi Kokkinakis, before participating in the Kooyong Classic warm-up exhibition in Melbourne next week.