- Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic teamed up at the Brisbane International
- The duo scored a very entertaining victory in the first round of men’s doubles.
- Kyrgios played his first competitive game in two years after a wrist injury.
Nick Kyrgios made his long-awaited return to the tennis courts on Monday afternoon at the Brisbane International alongside 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The Australian tennis star has played just once competitively in the past two years, having undergone wrist reconstruction surgery last year, and revealed this week that it was a “miracle” to be able to take part in this tournament. week before the Australian Open. next month.
Kyrgios and Djokovic sealed a very entertaining 4-6, 7-6, 8-10 victory over Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies at the Pat Rafter Arena and at times it looked more like the pair were playing an exhibition match.
They certainly put on a show, with both players showing off their sensational talents, performing a series of tricks while chatting and joking on the tennis court, in front of a rowdy crowd.
At one point, Djokovic lifted the roof of the Pat Rafter Arena, producing a remarkable shot around the net, while Kyrgios, again playing at home, produced a stunning shot before securing a point in the second set.
It was pure entertainment, and Kyrgios subsequently ran around the court enjoying the cheers of the home fans, before high-fiving Djokovic.
“We promised we were going to do this one more time before he or I leave,” Kyrgios, 29, told Sky Sports.
Kyrgios and Djokovic will play in the men’s singles event, with their first round matches taking place tomorrow afternoon.
Over the years, Kyrgios and Djokovic have had some great battles when they faced each other, perhaps the most notable of which was the 2022 Wimbledon final, where the Serbian star claimed victory against the Australian.
The pair have long known that they are friends off the court and today they showed that they have excellent chemistry, which could prove very successful this week in Brisbane and at Melbourne Park, should they decide to pair up again at the Open from Australia.
“I want to thank Nick for playing,” Djokovic said.
“He said the other day: ‘It should be a pleasure to play with him…’ he is a pleasure,” he added jokingly.
‘I’m glad to share the court with him on his return. I haven’t played so many doubles matches in my life, especially in the last five years. So whatever Nick said, I was following it.
Asked if he was leading Djokovic, Kyrgios said: “Not at all.” In fact, I was surprised that he doubted himself at times. I told him, “Bro, you’re the greatest of all time, go ahead and do what you have to do.”
“For me, I was just looking around, this beautiful stadium, I know this injury has been brutal for me, so I wasn’t taking any of this for granted.”
“I don’t know how many Australian summers I have left, so I was just looking around, loving the energy and really happy to be back here.”
Some tennis fans took to social media to reveal their joy at seeing Kyrgios back on the court.
Others talked about how the great Australian entertainer and Djokovic put on a very fun show for fans inside the Pat Rafter Arena.
“Djokovic and Kyrgios are bringing the magic to Brisbane… That winner at the net was pure magic,” wrote one on X.
Another added: ‘Gotta say Kyrgios looks dangerously strong out there after two years out! I look forward to tomorrow’s singles.”
“It’s like I never left #Kyrgios,” another added.
“Bringing some action to an otherwise stale sport, I love seeing him back on the court.”
“I’m totally here for this Djokovic-Kyrgios combination. As if we were in a parallel universe,” said another.
More to follow…