As a vocal critic of doping in tennis, Nick Kyrgios is confident he will not find himself in the type of precarious position defending Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner is facing.

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The world No.1 is in the midst of a prolonged investigation into two positive tests he recorded for the prohibited substance Clostebol in March last year. After initially being cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, the World Anti-Doping Authority has appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport

The Australian, who will test his fitness in a training session later on Friday as he seeks to play his first grand slam tournament since the US Open in 2022, has been highly critical of the saga involving Sinner and revealed he had been tested four times in the past two months as he closed on a comeback.

“I don’t want to speak too much about it. I think we’ve all been speaking about it. I feel like that’s the only thing tennis has been speaking about the last six months,” he said.

“But for me, to answer your question … I’ve been tested four times in the last couple months. I got tested in my home three days ago. (But) for me, it hasn’t been a problem at all in my career. I’ve been on the tour now for 10-plus years.

“For me, I’m not worried at all because I know that I’m really, really on top of what’s going on in my team. I’m very confident in myself that I’m not going to be accidentally putting something in my system.”

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist is due to play Scotland’s Jacob Fearnley in an opening round match likely to be played on Monday, but is under a cloud due to an abdominal issue he raised earlier this week.

He trained lightly on Friday morning at Melbourne Park and will undergo a more searching session later on Friday against rising Frenchman Mpetshi Perricard, who edged the Canberran in his return to the court in the Brisbane International to start the summer.

Kyrgios has been sidelined with injury since the Japan Open in October, 2022, with a knee injury and then wrist problems, with an initial attempt at a comeback aborted at Wimbledon in 2023. He underwent significant surgery on his wrist in September, 2023.

The 29-year-old, who reached the quarterfinals at Melbourne Park in 2015, said he was far from surprised he would have some injury issues in his return to the tour.

“I feel like when you’re injured, people think you don’t play as much tennis and you’re not doing as much, but you’re actually doing a bit more. I feel like I’ve been playing more tennis, more than ever,” he said.

“I think I am trying to emulate the match load in training, the body getting used to it again, anyone that has had an injury that’s kept them out of the game for a year plus know that it’s so hard to load manage, because you’re trying to get ready for the match intensity.

“I think that’s what I was doing. After Brisbane, it was really encouraging. Obviously my body was struggling a little bit. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m going to try to build on that.’

“Then obviously I had a little bit more of a setback. I think it’s just part of the game. Niggles. I don’t think anyone really feels 100 per cent. As long as it’s not something like my wrist again, I think I can manage it.”

Although he has only played two matches in 27 months, Kyrgios is confident that he will be able to compete with the best if he is able to regain full fitness.

The Australian was at the peak of his form in 2022 prior to the knee injury, following his run to the Wimbledon final with some strong results in North America on hardcourts including a US Open quarterfinal appearance.

“I’ve beaten pretty much everyone that the sport has put in me before. I’m always going to back my ability,” he said.

“People are always going to say, ‘Be realistic. You’re not going to be the same.’ I, unfortunately, don’t have that mindset.

“I always have the utmost confidence in my ability, (that) if I’m playing my style of tennis, (with) my unpredictability, I have a chance against anyone. That’s the mindset you need to have against the people.

“If I walked out on the court for the first time against Nadal, Djokovic, Federer, and was realistic, I probably wouldn’t have won. A kid from Canberra going out there, and beating those (legends) like, you can’t be realistic. You have to think … ‘I’m the best tennis player in the world.’ Is that realistic? Probably not. But I think that when I’m out there.

“I think if I play any of these top guys now, I have to have that mindset. Otherwise I’m going to be blown off the court. My confidence comes from my belief in my own ability.”

‘GETTING MUNDANE’… AND THAT DJOKOVIC CLAIM

Meanwhile, Kyrgios was asked about the sensational claim from Novak Djokovic that the Serbian was “poisoned” while detained a Melbourne hotel during the coronavirus pandemic.

The question initially stumped Kyrgios who said he was unaware of the claim, before he responded: “No, I haven’t spoken to him on it, I didn’t know that.

“We treated him like s**t.”

Speaking of his comeback, Kyrgios added that “drama and theatre” was what he would bring back to the Open after two years on the sidelines.

“Every time I step out on court I don’t know if I’m going to be super controversial in a good or bad way,” he said.

“There’s so many good players on the tour now, but I think there’s not so many contrasting personalities.

“It’s good to be back, because I think the sport was getting a bit mundane.”

— With Newswire