“Wouldn’t it be cool if Nick and I played doubles together?”: Leylah Fernandez explain how her partnership with Kyrgios began

Nick Kyrgios and Leylah Fernandez successfully got through their debut at the Australian Open mixed doubles, defeating the specialists Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk — champions of Wimbledon 2022 in mixed doubles and finalists at the 2024 Australian Open and Roland Garros. Both players had already been eliminated from the rest of the competitions, and they are clinging to mixed doubles as their last hope in Melbourne.

It was a match that took over the ANZ Stadium and featured an incredible comeback from the Australian-Canadian duo. After falling in the tie-break of the first set, they recovered in the second set to send everything to the super tie-break. It was there that they pulled off the epic comeback, saving three match points and coming back from 9–6 down, before closing out the victory 6–7(6), 6–4, [12–10].

“I had a lot of fun out there. I feel like every point we always had a smile afterwards,” Fernandez commented after the match. “There wasn’t any negative energy on court. We were down 9–6, and I feel like Nick was the most positive guy there, saying, ‘We’ll get those next two.’ Then it was 8–7… yeah, 9–8. You told me, ‘You’re made for this moment,’ and I just started believing. I was like, ‘Yeah, I am.’ It was so cool. It was just a lot of fun. Nick brought great energy, and so did the crowd.”

The local player, for his part, highlighted the match as one of the most important of his career at Melbourne Park, thanking the support of the fans and the work of his partner. “I’ve played a lot of matches at the Australian Open, and at this part of my career I don’t take any match for granted, even if it’s doubles or mixed like last night,” commented the 2022 Australian Open doubles champion. “That was some of the craziest energy I’ve ever had here. I’ve obviously played some amazing matches at the AO, but that has to be one of my favourites.”

“Being 9–6 down, 7–3 earlier… realistically, as tennis players, you don’t always believe you can come back,” added the former world No. 13. “But I was like, ‘If we just take it one at a time, maybe we can do it.’ The crowd was amazing all day and all night. They stayed, they hung around. It was incredible. I’m really excited for the next round.”

The Kyrgios and Fernandez duo was perhaps the most surprising pairing in the draw after receiving a wildcard from the organisers. In a draw filled with specialists, it is not very common to see singles players in a mixed doubles draw. Despite the fact that both Kyrgios and Fernandez have stood out primarily in singles throughout their careers, they have proven experience and results in doubles: Kyrgios as a 2022 Australian Open champion and competing at the ATP Finals with Thanasi Kokkinakis, while Fernandez reached the final of Roland Garros 2023 alongside Taylor Townsend.

Fernandez explained in a press conference how the partnership for the tournament came together. “It was funny — it started in Brisbane. The night before, my dad and I were talking and joking, like, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if Nick and I played doubles together?’ I feel like my dad took the initiative and went up to Nick before practice and asked him,” she mentioned. “Nick was nice enough to say yes. I immediately sent the message, and it kind of started that way. It was great that it worked out.”

“It was a lot of fun — my goodness. I kept hearing how rowdy the crowd is at the AO, how it’s a party, and I finally got to experience it,” the 2021 US Open runner-up added. “I also got the chance to compare it to the US Open, and it’s very electric. I love this crowd, how rowdy they get and how motivating they are. Sometimes I totally forgot the score and just enjoyed my time out there.”

Another topic the duo addressed in the press conference was the upcoming retirement of Gaël Monfils — who earlier this week played his last match at Melbourne Park and said goodbye with a first-round defeat against local player Dane Sweeny.

“For me personally, Gaël was one of my best friends on tour. He took me under his wing when I first came on the scene and was always so friendly,” Kyrgios revealed. “He’s one of the nicest people on tour — a big kid with such a kind heart. Seeing him play his last Australian Open is emotional. He’s a legend of the game. Whenever Gaël Monfils was playing, people tuned in.”

“His legacy is that you can do it your own way. Not everyone is Roger, Rafa, or Novak. You can enjoy yourself, be yourself, and still have an amazing career. People say Monfils or Kyrgios didn’t live up to their talent, but if you look at his résumé, he has nothing left to prove. He was a big idol for me growing up.”

On the other hand, Fernandez also had words of appreciation for the veteran Frenchman and highlighted him as a great inspiration for children. “For me, I’ve gotten to know him more over the last couple of years. He’s super nice, always smiling, always giving big hugs,” she said. “Growing up, I loved watching him play because he’s so authentic. Like Nick said, not everyone is Rafa or Federer, but Gaël brought something special — showmanship that kids look up to and try to copy with trick shots. He’s always entertainment, and everything he’s accomplished is something to strive for.”

Finally, there was time for Kyrgios to respond about a potential return to Australia’s Davis Cup team. Recently, his partner and friend Kokkinakis mentioned that he will not be available to return to the Australian Davis Cup team — at least for the moment — due to his current physical condition and the level he can provide for the team.

Kyrgios himself mentioned that he also does not see himself returning to Team Australia at the moment and believes it is time for younger players to take that place, thinking about the future of the team. “Australian tennis on the men’s side is very deep right now. Physically, Davis Cup is a grind, and it would be selfish for me to commit with question marks over my body,” he mentioned regarding a potential return. “What Thanasi is going through is emotional — I went through something similar."

"When you can’t get through practices or matches, you start hating being on court. I’ve represented Australia for a decade in Davis Cup and played incredible ties. Now I want the younger guys to come through. Our team is extremely strong. For me, it’s not the right time anymore.”