Nick Kyrgios has pleaded for patience after losing his first match since October on the grass in Stuttgart.

After seven months out with a knee injury, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist was beaten 7-5 6-3 by China’s Yibing Wu in the first round in Stuttgart, the match lasting just 68 minutes.

Struggling with mobility and suffering pain, Kyrgios served well but gave little in chases and spent time holding his knee and looked troubled by the end of the game.

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In the aftermath he took to Twitter asking for patience as he makes his journey back to full fitness.

“Be patient with me my fans please,” Kyrgios tweeted after Tuesday‘s match.

“It’s a process to get back to where I was. I know it’s hard for you to see me perform like today, but I need more time and hopefully can get back to where I was.”

The match was Kyrgios‘ first tour-level singles match since October, excluding an exhibition appearance in Saudi Arabia in December.

He missed the Australian Open after having surgery to repair a meniscus tear on his left knee, which he called “quite a serious surgery” before his match in Germany.

Kyrgios said he got through the match with “no pain” and was feeling positive despite the result.

“It was my first match in a long time,” he said.

“I guess it was my final task of rehab to go out, play matches and see how my knee pulled up.

“I made it through the match with no major pain. I‘ve got a lot more work to do, but I’m taking some positive signs from it.”

Kyrgios is ramping towards his return to Wimbledon, where he lost the 2022 final to Novak Djokovic.