Nick Kyrgios makes a comeback and sends Jannik Sinner to the podium

Nick Kyrgios has spoken out on social media for the first time since news broke that he tested positive in a doping test, which forced him to take a break until early September. The Australian tennis player, whose career has been hampered by various knee and wrist injuries, took part in a “blind ranking” on Instagram featuring some of the greatest tennis players of all time, including Jannik Sinner.

The format requires participants to rank the various athletes without knowing in advance which names will be revealed. The former Wimbledon finalist placed Sinner in third place, behind only Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic—a significant choice given the previous disagreements between the two.

The Australian has been among the Italian’s fiercest critics regarding the Clostebol case, although in recent months he has repeatedly expressed admiration for the South Tyrolean tennis player’s career.

Kyrgios had surprised many with his praise of Sinner, calling him “one of the best ball-strikers the game has ever seen” and a “machine” from the baseline, capable of “turning defense into offense with any shot.” The Australian also highlighted the Italian’s progress on serve, calling him “one of the best precision servers we have,” and concluded that “with more time, he will most likely go down in history as one of the GOATs.”