Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis will meet again to play doubles at the 2025 Australian Open, three years later won the title together.
Nicknamed the ‘Special Ks’, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis beat fellow Australians Max Purcell and Matt Ebden in the 2022 final, the culmination of an exciting two weeks in which the doubles pair were one of the biggest draws of the tournament.
This remains the only grand slam won by either player and the duo’s title run provided some memorable moments, including how raucous the atmosphere was during their late-night matches.
“Everyone loved it last time, we loved it, it was so much fun,” Kokkinakis told reporters, according to Reuters.
“It’s definitely not going to be our priority, (but) we think we owe it to people to come back out there and have fun.” It’s not something we’ve practiced, but simple is definitely the goal.
“If you have a big five-setter, with all due respect, the last thing you want to do is go out and play doubles the next day, but we’ll play it by ear and see how it goes .”
Kyrgios, the former world number 13, has recently suffered a succession of knee, wrist and foot injuries and has only played one competitive match in the past two years, but will make his return to the tennis at the Brisbane International from December 29.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist will enter the Australian Open with a protected singles ranking of 21, while Kokkinakis, the world number 77, will also be in the main draw.
“It’s going to be great for tennis, great for the fans in Australia, fans around the world,” Kokkinakis said, according to Reuters.
“It’s a different cat. He obviously has a different energy about him and he’s a heck of a player, so I think people are going to love seeing him again.
“This has been a long time coming. I think he’s been ready to play for a while now, but he wanted to make sure he’s really ready before he opts out, so hopefully he can stay healthy.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com
