Nick Kyrgios will make a Davis Cup comeback the number one target to relaunch his season, but the Canberra teenager says he has to take a long-term view to his recovery from bone stress in his back to ensure he doesn't jeopardise his career.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Australia's top-ranked player also believes his Australian Open form has helped him prove he is not a "one-run wonder" and is confident he can continue his stunning rise when he returns to the court.
Kyrgios will stay in Canberra for the next month as he continues strength and fitness work before hopefully restarting on-court work in the next fortnight.
He has already pulled out of two tournaments to prevent the problems with his L3 vertebra turning into a stress fracture.
But he met Australia's new Davis Cup coach, Wally Masur, on Wednesday morning to discuss his return and plans to play against the Czech Republic next month.
"Playing at the next Davis Cup tie is definitely my target," Kyrgios said. "I will do everything I can to get ready for Davis Cup time, but it's not something I want to rush into because it can linger on for a long time.
"I wasn't sure if I'd even be competing at the Aussie Open. I've got to be smart now. It's an injury that can hang around for a little bit and it can affect your career, so have to be careful."
Kyrgios made a superb run to the Australian Open quarter finals, before his tournament was ended by Andy Murray.
He had considered withdrawing before the opening round to recover from his back injury but played through the pain to make it to the second week of the tournament.
His form lifted him to No.35 in the world rankings and cemented his place as the first teenager since Roger Federer in 2001 to make two grand slam quarter finals.
It also ended any questions about the 19-year-old's ability to handle the pressure and expectations of a nation after he shot to fame by beating then-world No.1 Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon last year.
"It felt better this time around, making the quarter finals [at the Australian Open compared to Wimbledon] just because there was a lot of expectation and pressure," Kyrgios said.
"It was stressful, but it was a really fun couple of weeks, exciting having all my family and friends watching as well. It's good to see my ranking take a boost as well.
"I think people were expecting a lot out of me and seeing if I could show that I wasn't just a one-run wonder. It was unreal that I put an end to any of that thinking.
"There's a lot of pressure and expectation now, I just have to stay fit, healthy and stay on the court."
Kyrgios hopes his body is ready to withstand the workload of up to 20 tournaments this year.
He has been training with his brother at Gold's Gym in Canberra to ensure he is physically prepared to take on the best players in the world.
Kyrgios has also teamed up with BMX Olympian Caroline Buchanan as an ambassador for Stomping Grounds Collective, with the pair helping launch Westside at Acton Park.
He will use the capital as his training base this year and work with Todd Larkham to boost his ranking.
Kyrgios was ranked outside the world's top 200 in March last year before making a charge to be one of the best in the world.
Masur, who has taken over from Pat Rafter as Davis Cup coach, met with Kyrgios to see whether he would be ready to play the Czech Republic.
"Wally came over this morning and we had a chat, I think I know Wally pretty well," Kyrgios said.
"I think we have a really good relationship ... Wally said he wants me to be a part of the team, but if I'm not, then don't rush it.
"I haven't put a number on anything this year. I just have to make sure I do the right things to have a long career."
