rewrite this title “Nick Kyrgios is the same fraud” – Fans slam Aussie after losing to World No. 104 at Stuttgart ahead of Wimbledon

The much-anticipated comeback of Nick Kyrgios at the 2026 BOSS Open in Stuttgart has come to an early end after the Aussie suffered a defeat to World No. 104 Sho Shimabukuro. The result left many fans disappointed, with some quick to voice their frustrations on social media.

Ever since reaching the Wimbledon final in 2022, Kyrgios has endured a nightmare run with injuries. He underwent multiple knee surgeries before suffering a torn wrist ligament that required reconstructive surgery, an injury widely regarded as one of the most difficult for tennis players to return from. As a result, he spent most of 2023, all of 2024, and a large part of 2025 away from the tour.

After featuring in the single, doubles and mixed doubles events at the Brisbane International and Australian Open earlier this year, Kyrgios returned to singles action again in Stuttgart. He made an encouraging start by defeating eighth seed Corentin Moutet 6-3, 6-4 in the opening round. However, his run was cut short on Thursday as Shimabukuro battled back to claim a 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 victory and book his place in the quarterfinals.

The defeat sparked plenty of reaction online, with several fans mocking those who had already started talking up Nick Kyrgios as a potential Wimbledon contender after just one match. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote:

“I thought he was back, Krygios still the same fraud.”

“Ppl had declared he’s favourite to win Wimbledon after one match. Meanwhile Jannik & Carlos are finished after one loss. There are truly levels to this,” another wrote.

“Kyrgios rat career is so over. Bye nobody misses you ugly rat,” another tweeted.

“Leave tennis until tennis leaves you,” one account posted.

“And people saying nick is a favourite to win Wimbledon,” one fan commented.

“The clown never left the circus,” another joined in.

Nick Kyrgios says he is “thrilled” to be back on the tennis court

Nick Kyrgios opened up about the challenges he faced during his lengthy injury layoff following his victory over Corentin Moutet at the 2026 BOSS Open. Reflecting on the road back to competitive tennis, the Australian revealed just how difficult the journey had been and admitted that there were moments when he seriously questioned whether it was worth continuing.

Kyrgios said:

“I had a wrist reconstruction, I’ve had four knee surgeries, so I’m really battling, but at the same time I’ve put in a lot of work, I’m really feeling good about myself. Honestly, there were so many times I was thinking: ‘Why am I playing? What more do I need to do?’ And I look at you guys and this is why I’m playing, so I’ll hang around a little longer.”

However, Nick Kyrgios added that the comeback has been a refreshing experience for him and said he is “thrilled” to be back on the court again.

“I’m so thrilled to be back, and playing some high-level tennis as well,” he said. “Confident? I don’t know if that is a word I’m feeling quite yet. Obviously, I will see how I feel tomorrow.”

Edited by Pritha Ghosh