Nick Kyrgios reckons he'll "need a miracle" to contend for a grand slam title after an injury comeback loss that sewed confidence but also offered the Australian a sobering reality check.
The Australian could only shrug his shoulders as big-serving rising star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard left him with a "throbbing" wrist and crashed his comeback party in the Brisbane International first round on Tuesday.
The Australian was frustrated but showed fight, touch and fitness in a 7-6 (7-2) 6-7 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3) loss that stretched nearly two-and-a-half hours and featured no breaks of serve.
The 21-year-old French talent surged from outside the world's top 200 to finish 31 in the world this year, his huge weapon on both first and second serves arguably already the most devastating in the sport.
Kyrgios, playing just his second tour-level singles match in two-and-a-half years after a troublesome wrist injury, experienced the full brunt of that a day after partnering Novak Djokovic in a Monday night doubles win.
Mpetshi Perricard served 36 aces to Kyrgios's 15, regularly topping 220kmh with ease and backing himself with huge second serves to compound the pain mentally and physically as just four points separated the pair.
"I felt I'd been hit by a bus after the doubles," he said after admitting his wrist was "throbbing like *hit".
"For my wrist it's all new ground ... I went from practising with people unranked to facing the biggest server ... on the planet and, 'let's see how you go'.
"It's going to be a rough day tomorrow for my wrist.
"I was really excited for the Aus Open and after today ... the reality set in to be fair.
"It (winning one) might be one of the hardest things to do in any sport.
"I almost need a miracle and the stars to align for my wrist to hold up in a grand slam for sure.
"But I'm so happy to be part of the Australian summer again.
"I don't take it for granted; going out there again playing a top player like that ... smiling to myself knowing I'm right in the heat of the battle.
"We were not expecting to be playing here at such a high level."
Despite his concerns, the 29-year-old said he would "definitely" return to play top doubles seeds Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus on Wednesday alongside Novak Djokovic, who beat Rinky Hijikata 6-3 6-3 later on Tuesday night.
Earlier, Alexei Popyrin's Australian Open preparations hit a snag, humbled by Italian Matteo Arnaldi in the first round.
The world No.24 Australian was outplayed 6-3 6-2 on Tuesday, Arnaldi moving to 3-1 in their career head-to-head in the process.
Popyrin will be seeded for the first time at next month's Australian Open after a 2024 headlined by his Masters 1000 triumph in Montreal and upset of Novak Djokovic to reach the fourth round of the US Open.
He has a game Australian tennis great John Newcombe thinks can carry him into the world's top-10 next year.
But the Italian world No.37, two years Popyrin's junior at 23, demonstrated just how competitive the field was in a 68-minute procession.
Australian world No.93 Adam Walton then pushed fifth-seeded American Frances Tiafoe, who saved set points in the first set before turning the tables in a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 victory.
Day two began with the withdrawal of fifth seed and world No.22 Sebastian Korda (lower back), the American replaced in the main draw by Dusan Lajovic who then beat Arthur Cazaux.
Aleksandar Vukic and Jordan Thompson have already assured an Australian second-round presence after impressive victories in Brisbane.
