‘Special Ks’ set to reunite for doubles at the Australian Open
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios won the Australian Open doubles title in 2022.
(CNN) — Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis will reunite to play doubles at the 2025 Australian Open, three years after they lifted the title together.
Nicknamed the ‘Special Ks,’ Kyrgios and Kokkinakis defeated fellow Australians Max Purcell and Matt Ebden in the final in 2022, the culmination of a thrilling two weeks during which the doubles pair were one of the tournament’s biggest draws.
It remains the only grand slam either player has won and the duo’s run to the title provided some memorable moments, notably how loud the atmospheres were for their late-night matches.
“Everyone loved it last time, we loved it, it was so much fun,” Kokkinakis told reporters, per Reuters.
“It’s definitely not going to be the priority for us, (but) we feel like we owe it to people to get back out there and have some fun. It’s not something we’ve practiced, but singles 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 No. 13, has struggled with a succession of knee, wrist and foot injuries recently and has played just one competitive match over the last two years, but will make his return to tennis at the Brisbane International from December 29.
The 2022 Wimbledon runner-up will play the Australian Open with a protected singles ranking of 21, while Kokkinakis, the world No. 77, will also be in the main draw.
“It’s going to be great for tennis, great for fans in Australia, fans all over the world,” Kokkinakis said, per Reuters.
“He’s a different cat. Obviously has a different sort of energy about him and he’s a hell of a player, so I think people are going to love having him back.
“It’s been a long time coming. I think he’s been ready for a while now to play, but he wanted to make sure he’s really ready before he steps back, so hopefully he can stay healthy.”
The-CNN-Wire
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