Nick Kyrgios made his long-awaited return to the tennis court on Monday afternoon at the Brisbane International alongside 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.
The Aussie tennis star has played just once competitively in the past two years, having undergone wrist reconstruction surgery last year, having revealed this week that it was a ‘miracle’ that he was able to take part in this week’s tournament ahead of the Australian Open next month.
Kyrgios and Djokovic sealed a hugely entertaining 4-6 7-6 8-10 victory over Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies at the Pat Rafter Arena and at times it felt more like the pair were playing an exhibition match.
They certainly put on a show, with both players showcasing their sensational talents, pulling off a series of trick shots as they chatted and joked on the tennis court, infront of noisey crowd.
At one stage, Djokovic lifted the roof of the Pat Rafter Arena, producing a remarkable shot around the net, while Kyrgios, back playing on home soil produced a stunning tweener before securing a point in the second set.
It was pure entertainment, with Kyrgios subsequently sprinting around the court lapping up the cheers from the home fans, before giving Djokovic a high-five.
‘We promised we were going to do this one more time before either he goes or I go,’ Kyrgios, 29, said to Sky Sports.
Kyrgios and Djokovic are both due to play in the men’s singles event, with their first round matches coming tomorrow afternoon.
Over the years, Kyrgios and Djokovic have had some huge battles when pitted against each other, perhaps the most notable of those was the 2022 Wimbledon final, where the Serbian star claimed victory against the Australian.
The pair have long known to be friends off the court and today showed that they have a sensational chemistry on it, that could prove to be very successful this week in Brisbane and at Melbourne Park, should they chose to partner up again at the Australian Open.
‘I want to thank Nick for playing,’ Djokovic said.
‘He said the other day: “It should be a pleasure to play with him…” it is a pleasure,’ he added joking.
‘I’m glad to share the court with him on his comeback. I haven’t played that many doubles matches in my life, particularly the last five years. So whatever Nick was saying I was following.’
Pressed on whether he was leading Djokovic, Kyrgios said: ‘Not at all. I was actually surprised he doubted himself in some moments, I was like: “Brother you’re the greatest of all time, go for it, do what you gotta 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 Aussie summers I’ve got left, so, I was just looking around, loving the energy and just so happy to be back out here.’
Some fans on social media marvelled at Kyrgios’ sensational comeback and how entertaining the pair were.
‘Djokovic and Kyrgios are bringing the magic in Brisbane… That around-the-net winner was pure wizardry,’ one wrote on X.
Another added: ‘Gotta say – Kyrgios is looking dangerously sharp out there – after two years of no play! Looking forward to singles tomorrow.’
‘Its like he never left #Kyrgios,’ another added.
‘Bringing some action to an otherwise stale sport, love to see him back on the court.’
More to follow…
