Djokovic and Kyrgios prepare for Grand Slam with doubles play

Former world number one Serbia’s Novak Djokovic and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios will play in the doubles category in the upcoming competition in Brisbane. The tournament, which is named the Brisbane International, will be played from December 29 to 05 January.

The competition is being seen as a perfect opportunity to prepare for the first Grand Slam of the year. Interestingly, former world number one Djokovic and Kyrgios will compete in the doubles category. The 29-year-old confirmed this development in a post on his official Instagram account.

The two players have enjoyed a friendly relationship ever since they featured in the final at Wimbledon two years back. In that contest, it was Djokovic who came out on top with a score of 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–3). The event will be an interesting one as well, as it will feature Kyrgios, who is now set to return to action after a gap of more than two years. The former world number 13 has been out of action since September 2022 and, in the meantime, has missed as many as eight Grand Slams. Kyrgios is also set to feature in the first Grand Slam of the next year as well on his home soil.

On the other hand, the event will be an important one for the former world number one Djokovic as well. The 37-year-old, who is often regarded as the greatest player in the history of men’s tennis in the singles category, having won as many as 24 Grand Slam titles, will be hoping to have a better season in 2025 than what he had in 2024. It was the first time in seven years that the Belgrade-born star failed to win a single Grand Slam in a season. His most impressive performance this year came in the Paris Olympics, where he won a gold medal for his country.