when does it start, date, talking points, draw, is Nick Kyrgios playing, who does Alex de Minaur play, how many Australians

A year after he withdrew from Wimbledon, Nick Kyrgios is back at the All England Club and will join former world No. 1 Ash Barty in the commentary box during the Championships.

While Barty, who returned to Wimbledon with her family on Saturday, will play in the Legends event in the second week, the Canberran is eyeing a return to the tour proper next month.

Meanwhile, Aussie debutants Rinky Hijikata, Adam Walton and Olivia Gadecki are looking forward to their first experience at Wimbledon and veteran Alex Bolt has revealed Alex de Minaur is not the only Australian dating an English player named Katie.

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FORMER FINALIST DETERMINED TO GIVE HIS FANS ‘THE NICK KYRGIOS EXPERIENCE’

Nick Kyrgios has arrived in London to commentate for the BBC and ESPN but is eager to track down some old rivals for practice as he eyes a return to the tour next month.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist withdrew from last year’s Championships on the eve of the tournament citing a wrist complaint and subsequently underwent specialist surgery in Adelaide last September.

The 28-year-old, who was also troubled by a knee complaint through the infancy of 2023 and managed to play only a solitary match in Germany for the year, is treading warily for understandable reasons.

There are several examples of elite players who have struggled to find their best again after wrist surgery, with 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem and 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini among those who have failed to reach their former heights on tour.

Kyrgios is planning to play in the fast-paced Ultimate Tennis Showdown, an exhibition series run by French coach Patrick Mouratoglou, in New York ahead of the US Open in late August, though whether he actually plays at Flushing Meadows is not certain.

In an interview with uts.live conducted this week, the Canberran said he wanted to give fans the “Nick Kyrgios experience” once again.

“I’ve missed beating people. I miss winning. And I was winning so much in 2022 before I had to stop,” he said.

“I want to get back out there and have that feeling and I feel that I want to give my fans one more year, or two more years, of the Nick Kyrgios experience.”

An Australian and US Open quarterfinalist as well, Kyrgios is open to playing doubles in the infancy of his comeback and hopes to be able to rejoin the circuit over the next couple of months.

“I’m back in London doing a lot of TV commentary of Wimbledon, which is exciting,” he said in a soon-to-be-released interview.

“But I’m also doing training during these two weeks. I’m trying to have some hits with the players that are here to see where my wrist is at. It’s been 10 months since my surgery, so I’ll try to work my way back onto court.

“I’ll be playing doubles in the next month (on the ATP Tour). It will be exciting. I’ll probably start there and hopefully, if everything is OK, I’ll move to singles and then I’ll see how long I’ll hang around for.

“I missed competing, I missed hearing the crowd, my fans. Even the people that hate me, I miss them, I miss them all. I can’t wait to be back.”

BIG MOMENT FOR AUSSIE DEBUTANTS

When Rinky Hijikata arrived in London last month, he walked around the Queen’s Club with his eyes wide open as he considered the history of the prestigious club.

One of three Australian debutants at Wimbledon in 2024, the Sydneysider took in an honour roll featuring the greats and was delighted to come across a photograph of Scott Draper.

The left-hander, who won the Queen’s event in 1998, is the younger brother of Hijikata’s coach Mark Draper and the emerging Aussie was keen to soak in the history of the club.

It will be the same matter at Wimbledon when Hijikata, who reached quarterfinals at the Queen’s Club and Mallorca in the lead-in to the major, arrives at the All England Club to complete a box set of appearances in the majors.

The 23-year-old, who reached the 4th Rd at the US Open last year, is looking forward to the experience ahead, which includes taking his place alongside compatriots in “Aussie Corner”.

This is an unofficial part of one of the locker rooms at Wimbledon – there is a separate room for seeded players and former champions – where generations of Aussie men have had the tales of former glory passed on to them.

“This is probably the one that I was most looking forward to – this or (the) Aussie Open. So I can’t wait. (It is) a dream come true,” Hijikata said.

“It’s probably … the most prestigious and important tournament in tennis (and I’m) really excited to get out there. I feel like whenever you’re growing up and you pick up a racquet, your dream is to win Wimbledon one day.

“I feel like that’s kind of the benchmark in tennis. This is the one that you really want to win. And … ever since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamt of playing here and obviously I’ve been close a couple times now, but to … get here on my own merit this year feels good and I’m just really excited.”

Hijikata, who attended the University of North Carolina, will play Italian Flavio Cobolli in the opening round.

Another former collegiate graduate Adam Walton, who plays Federico Coria, had never been to Wimbledon before Friday and was in awe of the club in the southwest of London.

“It’s a very special tournament. It’s very prestigious and everything,” he said.

“Other than the Australian Open, it’s obviously probably the next best tournament for us Australians to play. I’m just really looking forward to the opportunity to play on Tuesday.”

A BOLT FROM THE BLUE FORCES SOUTH AUSSIE TO MAKE SWIFT DECISIONS

Alex Bolt has had to make decisions on the fly over the past week in London.

The South Australian, who grew up on grass courts in Murray Bridge, learnt just ten minutes before he stepped on to court in qualifying last week that he had a spot in the draw.

The 31-year-old, who underwent elbow surgery a couple of years ago and then battled osteitis pubis last year, said the extraordinary circumstances may have worked in his favour when he played Nicolas Kicker a week ago.

“It was a quarter to 11 before the first match and I was talking to the referees and they said ‘Oh, they haven’t really heard of anyone that’s going to pull out yet,’” he said.

“I was like, ‘Okay, alright, I’ll just go to the cafe and maybe use the last of my money on my (accreditation) badge (and) try to get the last meal in.

“Just before I was about to walk to the cafe, my name gets called over the loudspeaker and they’re like, ‘Someone’s pulled out (and) you’re in and you’re on at 11’. So I literally had 10 minutes to get my white kit on and warm up and get ready for the match.”

After winning through qualifying, which included overcoming a two set deficit and a match point in the final round, Bolt drew three-time major finalist Casper Ruud in the first round.

With the knowledge he will earn at least $120,000 for a first round appearance, the world No. 234 sprung into action and booked a flight to London for his coach Rohan Williams ahead of his clash with the Norwegian star.

“He’s going to land tomorrow morning, so it’ll be good to have him back on the road with me again so (that) we can make it as normal as possible,” he said.

“In terms of all the time off, I think it has probably freshened my mind and my body to be able to go on for – I mean, hopefully if my body doesn’t break down – I can go on as long as possible. I don’t feel like the end is near. I feel like I’m going (to go) for a little bit longer.”

THE DEMON IS NOT THE ONLY AUSSIE BOLTER DATING A KATIE

Glamour couple Alex de Minaur and his English partner Katie Boulter have been the focus of the Fleet St tabloids once again given the latter’s rise to seeded status at Wimbledon.

But de Minaur, who plays compatriot James Duckworth on Tuesday, and the 32nd seeded Boulter are not the only Australian-English partnership sharing those first names.

Bolt is also dating an English player Katie Swan, who has played Wimbledon on six occasions, though she has not been on the court since February.

“It’s probably been about a bit over a year now that me and Katie have been together,” Bolt said.

“So, yeah, it’s not just one Alex and Katie in the tennis world now. There’s two of us now. There’s something about the Aussies and Brits.”

ONE ERA CONTINUES AS A FAMOUS STREAK COMES TO END

A fortnight out from Wimbledon, as Novak Djokovic recovered from knee surgery and Andy Murray limped from the Queen’s Club with a bad back, a significant milestone loomed.

For the first time since 1997, it looked likely that The Champions would progress without any member of the Big Four of Djokovic, Murray, Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in a draw.

But with Djokovic defying the odds once again and Murray striving to play doubles with his elder brother Jamie, a streak that began when Federer won the boys singles in 1998 continues.

However, another streak dating 27 years has come to an end with this Wimbledon marking the first year since Venus Williams debuted in 1997 that neither she or Serena is in the main draw.

Aside from 2020, when the tournament was not held because of the pandemic, the American legends have played a starring role, with Serena winning seven titles and Venus a five-time champion.

The sisters also combined to win the doubles title six times, while Serena claimed the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 1998 with Max Mirnyi.