Thanasi Kokkinakis has shared an exciting update regarding the highly anticipated return of his close friend and tennis partner, Nick Kyrgios, hinting that the duo might reunite for a doubles campaign at the Australian Open next month.
Kyrgios, who has confirmed his comeback to competitive tennis, will make his return at the Brisbane International in December, a tournament that will also feature tennis icon Novak Djokovic. In a recent interview with 9News, the Aussie star shared his optimism about his return, citing how great he feels physically.
“Honestly, this is probably the best I’ve felt in two years,” Kyrgios said, radiating confidence. Reflecting on his career, he mentioned his stellar 2022 season, which included impressive runs at Wimbledon and the US Open, but also noted the onset of wrist issues that followed. “I had that wrist reconstruction and now I’m feeling amazing,” he added, expressing his excitement about being back. “It was a 15 percent chance I was going to get back to playing at this level, and here we are,” Kyrgios said, underscoring his recovery’s remarkable nature. “To get back out there in front of the home fans is going to be sick.”
Kokkinakis, who knows Kyrgios’ game better than anyone, echoed his optimism. The 2022 Australian Open doubles champion, who teamed up with Kyrgios for the title that year, believes his friend is poised for a successful return. While gearing up for the UTS Grand Finals in London, Kokkinakis spoke with Tennis365 about the potential for a doubles reunion at the 2025 Australian Open.
“He played great in the UTS New York event in August and hopefully we can have him back on the tour in January,” Kokkinakis shared. “Tennis has missed him, and I’m sure the Aussie public would love to get behind him again.”
Though the prospect of Kyrgios’ return raises questions about how his time away from the game might affect his level, Kokkinakis is confident his friend will come back strong. “It’s tough when you’ve been out of the game for so long, as you never know how your level is going to be when you start playing matches,” he admitted. “But I’m sure his level will be great. He’s been ready to play for a while now. I have no doubts he’ll be in good form. Motivation is such a big thing in tennis, and I’m sure he’ll be hungry to come back and play again.”
When asked about the possibility of reviving their doubles partnership at the Australian Open, Kokkinakis gave a hopeful response: “Maybe. We are thinking about it.”
Ahead of the UTS Grand Finals, where Kokkinakis is set to compete against other top players such as Andrey Rublev, Alex de Minaur, and Holger Rune, he also shared his thoughts on the evolution of tennis. As part of the quick-fire UTS format created by renowned coach Patrick Mouratoglou, Kokkinakis believes the sport needs to adapt and embrace new formats to keep fans engaged.
“If they can work with the ATP Tour to have more of these events, it will be good for tennis,” Kokkinakis said, highlighting the appeal of events like the UTS. “It attracts more fans, more spectators in the stands, and more enjoyment. Tennis has been one way for so long, and it’s great to have a format like this that is new and really engages with the fans.”
He also discussed how the long tennis season could benefit from changes. “Hopefully, it’s not as late in the year, so we can have a bit more of a break, but that is where the ATP could step in and help,” Kokkinakis explained. “This is a tennis equivalent of 20/20 cricket, and people have loved that, so I think it needs to happen in tennis. They are obviously trying, but tennis still has a long way to go. The schedule is too long, and there are a lot of events that aren’t exciting enough for fans. If the season were just nine months, it would still be a long season, but it would allow us to play events like this.”
As tennis continues to evolve, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios could very well lead the charge, both in terms of innovation and on-court excitement, with their dynamic partnership setting the stage for an unforgettable 2025 season.