Brisbane R1 previews and predictions: Mpetshi Perricard vs. Kyrgios, Popyrin vs. Arnaldi

Nick Kyrgios is back, and his draw in Brisbane is not a good one with Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on the other side of the net on Tuesday. First-round action also features a showdown between Alexei Popyrin and Matteo Arnaldi.

Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard vs. (PR) Nick Kyrgios

Kyrgios will be playing his first match since June of 2023 and his second match since October of 2022 when he takes the court at the Brisbane International on Tuesday. The 29-year-old Australian missed basically all of the last two seasons with various injuries to go along with general disinterest. Kyrgios’ comeback match actually came on Monday, when he teamed up with Novak Djokovic to win their first-round doubles match in Brisbane.

Up first for the former world No. 13 in singles is Mpetshi Perricard, whose breakout on tour came after Kyrgios was sidelined–so this is obviously their first-ever meeting. Mpetshi Perricard’s rise was impressive last season, as the 21-year-old Frenchman has climbed to 31st in the rankings and is therefore in position to be seeded at the Aussie Open. In a match that is sure to be decided by small margins, Mpetshi Perricard is much more match tough than his opponent and should be able to come up with bigger and better serves in the pressure-packed moments.

Pick: Mpetshi Perricard in 3

Matteo Arnaldi vs. (7) Alexei Popyrin

Popyrin and Arnaldi will be squaring off for the fourth time in their careers on Tuesday. All three of their previous encounters came in 2023, with Arnaldi leading the head-to-head series 2-1. He prevailed twice on hard courts (once indoors, once outdoors) after Popyrin scored a 6-7(2), 7-5, 6-3 clay-court victory in the Umag semifinals.

Having played great last year and benefiting from home-court advantage Down Under, Popyrin should be in line for success in this one. The world No. 24’s 2024 campaign was headlined by a shocking Masters 1000 title in Montreal and a U.S. Open upset of Djokovic en route to the fourth round. Arnaldi was unspectacular this past season, compiling a 28-25 record on the main tour while finishing at 37th in the rankings. Look for Popyrin to pick up where he left off in 2024.

Pick: Popyrin in 3