In a thrilling comeback from injury, Nick Kyrgios teamed up with Novak Djokovic for an exciting doubles victory at the Brisbane International on Monday.
The match showcased not only Kyrgios's resilience but also the impact of retired Scottish tennis legend Andy Murray, who has been coaching Djokovic over the past few months in preparation for the 2025 Australian Open.
Kyrgios and Djokovic triumphed over Austria’s Alexander Erler and Germany’s Andreas Mies with a score of 6-4, 6-7 (4), 10-8.
Kyrgios had recently indicated he still had "fire in his belly" ahead of his first match back, and displayed exactly that as he clinched the win with a powerful ace, signalling his return to competitive form.
After undergoing knee surgery in January 2023, Kyrgios made a brief comeback in June that year but faced further setbacks, including a torn ligament in his right wrist that forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon and every major since.
With doubts surrounding his ability to return, Kyrgios has surprised fans by competing in both doubles and singles at the Brisbane event. He is set to face France’s Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard on Tuesday, marking a promising step in his recovery journey.
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Speaking court side after the round of 32 encounter, 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic said: “That was awesome. I want to thank Nick for playing. He said the other day it should be a pleasure to play with him and it is.
“I’m glad to share the court with him on his comeback. I haven’t played that many doubles matches in my life, so whatever Nick was saying I was following.
“I feel great. Cannot ask for a better start to the season, sharing the court with Nick for the first time, winning the match and getting a little bit of a feel for the court.
“I played my last competitive tournament a few months ago, I ended my season quite early, just wanted to get my things together, physically recover and work really on perfecting my game as much as I can
“There’s a lot of great players, really quick, dynamic, powerful players nowadays, youngsters that I have to keep up with.”
A delighted Kyrgios was eager to stress how good it was not only to be back playing competitive tennis again, but to share a court with someone of Djokovic's stature.
“This injury has been brutal for me so I wasn’t taking any of this for granted," he admitted.
“I don’t know how many Aussie summers I’ve got left so I was just looking around and loving the energy and just so happy to be back out here.
“We promised that we were going to do this one more time before either he (Djokovic) goes or I go so I’m glad we’re still alive!”