Nick Kyrgios was celebrated like a rockstar at an exhibition event in Melbourne on Tuesday, but the Australian tennis star remained firm that skipping the singles draw at the Australian Open was the right decision.

The 2022 Wimbledon finalist confirmed last week that he would not be pursuing a wildcard for the tournament as he continues his comeback after three injury-plagued years. Instead, Kyrgios will focus on competing in doubles at the Grand Slam, which gets underway on Sunday.

The final three wildcards for the men’s singles were awarded to Swiss three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka, as well as Australians Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell.

“Someone like Stan, who’s played three or four competitive matches in the United Cup, all at a super high level, there’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that he deserves it,” Kyrgios told Channel Nine at the Kooyong Classic. “It just wouldn’t be fair of me to go out there with so many doubts physically, play some of the best players in the world in best-of-five sets, and not even be sure I could back up one round.”

Kyrgios made headlines on the court as well, defeating China’s Zhang Zhizhen in a super tiebreak, 6-3, 4-6, 11-9, in front of a crowd of cheering fans.

“The atmosphere out here was nuts… and if I didn’t have this, I don’t know what else I’d do,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of other things going on off the court, but there’s no feeling like this.”

Even while skipping singles, Kyrgios clearly remains a major draw for fans, proving his charisma and competitive spirit are still very much intact.