Kyle Edmund reached the Australian Open semi-final in 2018 and cracked the top-15 later that year. The top-ranked British player without Andy Murray could not chase higher-ranking positions, struggling with injuries and missing a couple of years to recover.
Kyle underwent three knee surgeries and struggled with his right wrist, falling through the rankings and making a slow return on the ITF Tour. While still seeking higher-ranking places, Edmund entered Wimbledon for the first time since 2019, competing in the doubles draw alongside Oliver Crawford.
Two Brits suffered a tight 7-5, 7-6 loss to Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul in the first round. Kyle felt fine on the court at his home Major, hoping to return as a top-50 player in the upcoming years. The 29-year-old Briton explained his post-surgery process, admitting embracing three identical knee surgeries was tough.
However, he remained confident, starting from the bottom and working through ITF Futures and Challengers. Kyle wrapped up the 2018 season in the top-15 after notching 37 ATP wins and achieving that brilliant result in Melbourne.
Edmund failed to repeat that in 2019, embracing an entire season but claiming 17 victories. Kyle lifted an ATP title in New York in February 2020 before missing six months. The Briton took a set away from Novak Djokovic at the US Open but failed to win a match by the end of the season, struggling physically and skipping an entire 2021 due to health issues.
Kyle returned to action in the summer of 2022, ranked outside the top-600. The Briton returned to Futures for the first time since 2014 and entered the US Open with a protected ranking, falling to Casper Ruud in the first round.
Edmund took another break after the US Open, skipping the rest of the season and making a fresh start at the beginning of 2023.
Kyle Edmund is eager to make a top-50 comeback.
Kyle fell to Jannik Sinner in Brisbane and Melbourne before taking a break until Miami.
Unable to present his A-game on the ATP Tour, Kyle returned to Futures and reached the M25 Reggio Emilia semi-final in May. Edmund returned to action in October and embraced his first professional final since February 2020.
Kyle fought for the title at the home M25 Edgbaston Futures against Novak Djokovic's second-round Wimbledon rival Jacob Fearnley, falling in straight sets but earning 16 ATP points. The Briton passed 60 rivals on the ATP ranking list since the beginning of 2024, playing Futures and Challengers and hoping to improve his ranking by the end of the season.
Kyle lifted the M25 Loughborough Futures trophy in January, celebrating a much-needed title and repeating that in Sunderland a week later. Edmund entered 11 Challenger tournaments between February and June, earning only one main-draw victory and often struggling to pass the qualifying round.
Kyle competed against the young Brazilian Joao Fonseca at the Lexus Surbiton Trophy Challenger and suffered a heavy 6-2, 6-1 loss in 61 minutes!
Fonseca played his first professional match on grass, but it did not bother him. The 17-year-old dominated on serve and return, reducing his rival to three games and sailing over the top. Joao fired eight aces and saved all four break points, mounting the pressure on the other side.
Kyle served at 53% and struggled to follow the rival's pace, facing eight break points and experiencing five breaks. Fonseca held with an ace in the second game of the encounter and created two break chances in the next one.
The Briton sprayed a forehand error on the first, sending the young gun in front. Joao cemented the lead with a service winner in game four and wasted another break opportunity a few minutes later. The young gun closed the sixth game with a forehand winner and overcame a 40-15 deficit in the next one.
Kyle sprayed two errors, losing serve and falling 5-2 behind. Fonseca served for the opener in the eighth game and hit a volley winner at the net, holding at love and wrapping up the set after 27 minutes.
Edmund sprayed a forehand error in the first game of the second set and faced a break point, saving it with a forehand winner and avoiding an early setback. Joao held in the second game and made another push on the return in the next one.
Kyle sprayed a forehand error, losing serve and falling a set and a break behind. The Briton hit more loose shots in the fifth game, experiencing a break and propelling the Brazilian 4-1 ahead. Joao faced four break points in the sixth game and saved them with fine hitting.
A teenager landed a service winner to bring the game home and forge a 5-1 advantage. Fonseca drew Edmund's error in the seventh game for a match point. Kyle hit a double fault, propelling the young gun over the finish line and suffering a heavy loss.
"The recovery process has been challenging. I was motivated to make a comeback after every surgery, but it only became more difficult, especially when I lacked progress. I was always in pain, and it was not easy to undergo three identical surgeries.
I'm fine now, training at the pace I desire. It's nice to compete at Wimbledon for the first time since 2019. I'm 29, and there's still time for improvement. I'm targeting a top-50 return, and I understand I have to pass the lower-tier events first," Kyle Edmund said.