Australia's newly appointed ATP Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt admits Nick Kyrgios' recurring collarbone injury is a concern but is confident the X-factor will fire in next month's inaugural competition.
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Hewitt has been unveiled as Australian skipper for the maiden, 24-team ATP Cup to be held in Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from January 3-12.
The former world No.1, who also holds Australia's Davis Cup reins, is set to guide a line-up boasting world No.18 Alex de Minaur and Kyrgios in Group F in Brisbane against Germany, Greece and Canada.
Hewitt said he was worried about Kyrgios' collarbone complaint that flared again at last month's Davis Cup, forcing him to miss their quarter-final defeat to Canada.
World No.30 Kyrgios was also forced to pull out of the Laver Cup just two months earlier, sidelining him until Davis Cup duty.
But Hewitt was backing Kyrgios to be at his best when Australia hosts the ATP Cup for the first time.
"It (collarbone injury) has happened a couple of times now so it is a little bit of a concern leading into an Australian summer where hopefully he is going to be playing a lot of matches," Hewitt told AAP.
"The shoulder and collarbone area are obviously such a big part of his game, to be able to serve at the power that he does is a real weapon for him.
"He just has to do all the right things now. He is doing rehab and recovery and he is back on the courts now.
"I am still really confident that he can go out and back Alex de Minaur up."
Hewitt said Kyrgios was in a good space after drawing the curtain on a 2019 season in which he copped a 16-week suspended ban and fine from ATP officials.
"He has been in a really good head space ... and he loves the team environment, being out there and supporting the boys," he said.
"He always plays well in Australia - hopefully he can do that in January."
Besides Hewitt, some of tennis' biggest names have also been unveiled as ATP Cup captains including fellow former No.1s Boris Becker (Germany), Marat Safin (Russia) and Thomas Muster (Austria), along with Tim Henman (Great Britain) and Gaston Gaudio (Argentina).
After the ATP Cup group stages are held over six days, the top eight countries will contest the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final in Sydney.
Australian Associated Press
