"We always have the best time together on court": An emotional Special K’s reunion as a tearful Kokkinakis steals the spotlight

The long-awaited official return has finally arrived for two players who have struggled with injuries in recent years. Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis reunited as a doubles team for the first time in four years, since lifting the Australian Open doubles title, and marked the occasion with an emotional comeback win at the Brisbane International.

The two players — close friends off the court — shared a heartfelt moment during the on-court interview after securing a victory in Brisbane, one year after their last appearance together.

They had already attempted a comeback a year earlier at the Australian Open, following a long period in which Kyrgios had been sidelined by injury. However, that return ended prematurely, with the former Wimbledon runner-up forced to retire in the middle of his first-round match, bringing his campaign to an abrupt end.

This time, they reunited in Brisbane, which marked Kyrgios’ first official tournament in six months. Even more time had passed since Kokkinakis’ last appearance on tour. The 29-year-old underwent pectoral surgery in January 2025, an injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the season.

The Australian summer swing could not have started better for the popular local pairing, who enjoyed strong crowd support as they defeated doubles specialists — and former world No. 1s — Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram. The “Special Ks” claimed a 5–7, 6–4, [10–8] victory, advancing to the second round of the tournament as they await their respective singles debuts in the main draw.

The duo were particularly emotional in front of a packed main stadium that backed them throughout the match and gave them a standing ovation after the dramatic win, which was decided in a match tie-break.

“First of all, thank you to everyone for coming out. There’s nothing better than playing in front of an Aussie crowd — we really appreciate it,” said Kokkinakis. “We knew we had quality opponents in Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram, and it was always going to be tough, especially since we hadn’t played together for a few years. But once we got out there, it felt like riding a bike. It was a lot of fun. We’ve got great chemistry, and we loved it.”

On the other side, Kyrgios praised Kokkinakis’ return after a difficult period in his career following surgery — a time during which he even considered retirement. “With everything Thanasi has gone through over the last year, and with what I’ve dealt with myself, tennis was almost taken away from both of us,” said the former world No. 13. “To come back out here and play at that level was pretty insane."

“Whether we win or lose, we always have the best time together on court. But doing it here makes it even more special. We both have great memories in Brisbane,” added the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up. “I’m just really glad we got the win. It feels good to be back competing and still able to do it at this level — that’s pretty cool.”

Both players will continue their doubles campaign in the coming days, when they face sixth seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul. While Kokkinakis is competing only in doubles on this occasion — aiming not to push his body too hard during his return — Kyrgios will also take part in the singles draw.

Kyrgios (No. 671) will play his opening singles match against American Alexander Kovacevic (No. 60). It will be their first career meeting and Kyrgios’ first official singles match since March 2025. Over the past three seasons, the 30-year-old has spent very little time on court, posting a 1–4 singles record since the start of 2023.