Nick Kyrgios has delivered a powerful reminder of his talent, cruising past world No. 36 Corentin Moutet in straight sets in his first singles match since January 6.

After time on the sidelines with knee and wrist problems, the Australian made an immediate impact in the opening round at ATP Stuttgart, beating Moutet 6-3 6-4 in just over an hour on Wednesday AEST.

It was a classic Kyrgios display, with the 31-year-old troubling his opponent through booming serves, forceful groundstrokes and his trademark flair. He did not face a single break point and looked in control throughout, regularly applying pressure on Moutet’s serve.

There was also plenty of entertainment, with Kyrgios mixing in tweeners, drop shots and crowd-pleasing moments as he settled back into the spotlight.

Speaking after the win, Kyrgios became emotional as he reflected on his return.

“I feel great and motivated,” he said.

“(It’s) quite (an) emotional moment. I had a lot of surgeries and I’m very thrilled to be back.

“I had a wrist reconstruction, I had four knee surgeries.

“But I’m back mostly because of the fans. I staying for you guys”.

The performance is sure to spark fresh discussion over whether Kyrgios could receive a Wimbledon wildcard ahead of this month’s Grand Slam.

Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final in 2022, but wrist issues began that same year and have heavily disrupted his career since. Before this week, his last singles appearance came in Brisbane in January, and before that he had not played since March 2025.

Since October 2022, he had played only seven singles matches and won just one. But in Stuttgart, in his first match on grass since that 2022 Wimbledon final, he looked immediately at home.

Grass has long suited Kyrgios’ game, with his huge serve and aggressive first-strike style especially effective on the quicker surface. The shorter points also reduce the strain on his body, avoiding long baseline exchanges.

If he can build on this result, Wimbledon organisers are likely to be watching closely. Another win or two would only strengthen the case for a wildcard, particularly given the excitement already building around his comeback.

Fans and commentators were quick to react to the performance.

“Nick Kyrgios hasn’t won an ATP tour singles match since Miami ‘25 but he received a wildcard into the #BOSSOpen this week and just took out the 36th best player in the world, Corentin Moutet, in an hour and 7 minutes. Always giving us something to watch,” Myles David wrote on X.

“I genuinely didn’t think that Nick Kyrgios would look this good after his long period off the courts!” prominent tennis account Pavvy G said.

“One of the most sensational comebacks in Tennis today! Take a bow.”

“That was very, very impressive from Kyrgios. Much better than probably most expected,” Jose Morgado wrote.

Reaction on Reddit was just as enthusiastic, with posters marvelling at how sharp the Australian looked.

“I have seen enough, Kyrgios is winning Wimbledon, to be the 4th man born in the 90s to become a slam winner,” one said.

“Dude served like an absolute menace, impressive,” another added.

“Impressive to beat a guy in the top 50 or so after years of not playing. Curious to see how far Nick can go in a tournament,” a third commented.

Kyrgios will next play Sho Shimabukuro in the second round on Thursday AEST.