Throwing down slam dunks on an outdoor basketball court, Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios showed he is ready to re-launch his injury-interrupted season on the US hardcourt circuit.
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Kyrgios also backed the Australian Davis Cup team to get the job done without him this weekend against the Czech Republic while he recovers from a bone stress injury in his back.
The 19-year-old will fly out to the US on Sunday in preparation for back-to-back ATP 1000 Masters tournaments at Indian Wells (March 9-22) and the Miami Open (March 23-April 5).
He will then return to his training base in Canberra in the lead-up to the French Open starting May 19 – his first major since a sterling run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open in January, where he was knocked out by Andy Murray.
Australia's highest-ranked player at No.36 in the world, Kyrgios displayed his skills on the basketball court in a celebrity game as an ambassador for Stomping Grounds Collective at the Westside precinct at Acton Park on Tuesday.
Kyrgios said he was on track to return for his first tournament since the Australian Open.
"My back's a lot better and I'm ready to go to America this weekend," Kyrgios said. "I'm playing Indian Wells then Miami then heading home for a couple of weeks. I can't wait to get out there and start competing again."
Kyrgios was originally named in Australia's Davis Cup team for this weekend's tie with the Czech Republic in Ostrava, but was ruled out late last week.
"I was very close," Kyrgios said. "There was a point where I was going to go and play.
"Wally [Australian Davis Cup captain Wally Masur] wasn't too sure if I was going to be ready or not, and I wasn't going to commit to him to say I was ready to play a best of five match.
"We're more than capable of winning that tie without me, we've got some great players, so I think I made the right call.
"I'll have an extra week of getting back into it and making sure I'm fully ready."
Kyrgios was also forced to sit out a couple of tournaments leading into the Australian Open.
"It definitely could have been an injury that would have bothered me for the rest of my career," he said.
"I was one step away from having two stress fractures in my back, so I really had to take care of that.
"It was such a fun couple of weeks at the Australian Open, I've just got to be careful with it."
With Kyrgios unavailable, Australia will be led by Bernard Tomic, veteran Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Groth and Thanasi Kokkinakis against a Czech Republic team missing world No.9 Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek.
"They don't have Berdych or Stepanek, which is two of their main pieces that's been winning for a long time," Kyrgios said.
"We've got guys like Bernard, who's playing some good tennis now, Lleyton's obviously going to lead the group, and Grothy and Thanasi.
"I've got plenty of faith those guys can get the job done without me."
