Briton Jacob Fearnley might be forgiven for having a sinking feeling after seeing his name bracketed with Nick Kyrgios in the first round of the Australian Open.

Britain's Jacob Fearnley is set to face Nick Kyrgios - and a partisan home crowd - in the controversial Australian's return to Grand Slam tennis.

Britain’s Jacob Fearnley was handed a blockbuster Australian Open debut against Nick Kyrgios. Scot Fearnley was still at college in the United States during last year’s tournament but has rocketed up to 86 in the world after a stunning start to his professional tennis career, which included taking a set off Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon.

Nick Kyrgios said on Friday his return to the Grand Slam stage at Melbourne Park after two injury-plagued years has come just in time as tennis was becoming "a bit mundane".

Jacob Fearnley says facing Nick Kyrgios at the Australian Open is "pretty special" and "a bit surreal".

Nick Kyrgios returns to the Australian Open and plays Britain’s Jacob Fearnley in his first match at the tournament in three years. The controversial Australian has been sidelined for most of the past two years following knee and wrist surgeries - and claims the sport has been “mundane” in his absence.