Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic will form an unlikely doubles pairing after the Australian announced they are planning to team up at the Brisbane International later this month.
Kyrgios is embarking on a comeback from long-term injury issues, having spent most of the past two years on the sidelines and not featuring at a major since a run to the US Open quarter-finals in 2022.
Knee, foot and wrist injuries have meant the 29-year-old has played just one match since then but he will make his grand slam comeback at the Australian Open in January, using his protected ranking of 21st.
As a warm-up for Melbourne, he intends to feature at a World Tennis League event in Abu Dhabi from 19-22 December before playing the Brisbane International from 29 December.
And the controversial Australian has now confirmed that he’ll team up with tennis legend Djokovic in the doubles in Brisbane, posting on Instagram: “Doubles at Brisbane. See y’all there”.
Kyrgios also cited an Instagram post from 2022, in which he teased a potential partnership with the Serbian. He wrote: “New doubles pair this year…. Loading…… @djokernole you ready??!!” with a photo of the duo walking out on to Centre Court for their Wimbledon final in 2022.
That was Kyrgios’s first grand slam singles final and he looked set to kick on further, only for injury to more or less wipe out his entire career since.
The pair have never played doubles together before and, in fact, historically have a very frosty relationship with Kyrgios previously calling Djokovic “a tool” and the 24-time grand slam champion responding by saying he “doesn’t have much respect” for his rival.
Their relationship has improved in the time since and they’re now preparing to team up on the same side of the court – something Djokovic revealed he had been keen to set up for the Australian Open in 2023, only for Kyrgios’s injury woes to scupper things.
While Kyrgios is aiming to prove his match fitness and get back in the grand slam swing of things at the Australian Open, Djokovic is aiming to lift the men’s singles trophy in Melbourne for an 11th time, which would be a 25th grand slam crown overall and give him possession of sole first place on the all-time list ahead of Margaret Court, who also has 24 to her name.
