Nick Kyrgios

[Damian]

Kyrgios Saves The Day After Australian Open Mishap

Spoiler:

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis reflect on playing in front of their home crowd
A small act of kindness from Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday at the Australian Open quickly became one of the feel-good moments of the Australian Open.

Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis were playing in the doubles quarter-finals against Tim Puetz and Michael Venus when Kokkinakis hit a first serve that was a let. Although the point was “dead”, Kyrgios reacted to Venus’ return by instinctively swatting a volley away.

The ball bounced into the crowd and struck a young fan. Kyrgios immediately noticed and quickly grabbed a racquet from his bag and handed it to the fan. After the match, during which the home crowd was fully behind the Aussies, the 26-year-old signed the racquet as well.


In their post-match press conference, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis spoke about the importance of the home fans.

“This Australian Open I think with everything the people have gone through, they just are just so happy to see Aussies have success. Demon in the fourth round, us kind of carrying the flag in doubles a little bit,” Kyrgios said. “This Oz Open, honestly, I think for us it's more about the people. Playing for them is more important than our doubles success.

“We haven't drawn up any goals of what we want to achieve this year in doubles. I just want to play and give the people of Australia and the Australian Open a show and genuinely try and grow the sport of tennis. That's why I'm playing. I know Thanasi is just enjoying it. This is the most fun we've ever had on the court.”

You May Also Like: Kokkinakis/Kyrgios Continue Dream Australian Open Run
Kokkinakis, who captured his first ATP Tour title at the Adelaide International 2 with the full support of the Australian fans, agreed.

“The thrill for us is honestly walking out there. This sounds stupid, but we worry about what happens in the match after,” Kokkinakis added. “But it's just seeing the support we've gotten and the crowd go nuts every time we get out there and how much they're enjoying it, that kind of gets us going and gets us motivated to do better for them, honestly.”

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios will play third seeds Granollers and Zeballos in the semi-finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kyrgios ... acquet-fan

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

Kyrgios, Kokkinakis Set All-Aussie Doubles Final

Spoiler:

Fan favourites will face Ebden-Purcell in Saturday's final
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!



The Australian Open men’s doubles final will be an all-Australian affair, after semi-final wins from Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis, and Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell. The unseeded finalists upset the third and second seeds, respectively, on Thursday in Melbourne.



Kyrgios and Kokkinakis delighted a packed Rod Laver Arena by knocking off Horacio Zeballos and Marcel Granollers, 7-6(4), 6-4. Playing at the same time on Margaret Court Arena, their compatriots upset 2020 AO champions Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-3, 7-6(9).



In a charged atmosphere in Laver, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis—neither of whom had previously been beyond the third round in doubles at a Slam—fed and fed off the crowd in a victory full of substance and style.



“I’ve played a lot of singles matches around the globe with amazing atmospheres,” Kyrgios reflected in the on-court interview. “This week with Thanasi, playing in front of you, nothing beats this. This is insane.”



There were no break points and just one deuce in the opening set. A classy behind-the-back stab from Spain's Granollers helped drag the third seeds level from 40/0 on the Kyrgios serve, but the Aussies held firm.



A Kyrgios tweener backfired on set point at 6/4 in the tie-break, but a big serve from the crowd favourite put the hammer down for the set.



With the atmosphere nearing fever pitch, the Aussies won the first seven points of the second stanza to create a 0/40 opening on the Granollers serve. The third seeds got back to deuce, but back-to-back Kokkinakis winners—one off each baseline wing—produced the match’s first break of serve.



The Spanish-Argentine duo clawed back from 4-1 to 4-4 in the set, but Granollers was broken again to concede the match. It was bedlam when a Kokkinakis topspin lob dropped in, with Kyrgios sprinting to his partner and the pair dropping to the court in celebration.



“When we come out here, it’s all about the crowd, the atmosphere,” Kokkinakis added. “That gets us going. We worry about the tennis second. Playing in front of you guys brings the best out of us, honestly. I don’t know if we’d have this result anywhere else. It’s sick.”



The duo have gone through the first, 15th, sixth and third seeds en route to the title round, while Ebden-Purcell have dismissed the fourth, 13th, 10th and second seeds.



The Margaret Court Arena contest was a rematch of the 2021 US Open quarter-finals, where eventual champions Ram and Salisbury saved four match points and advanced by the slimmest possible margin, 7-6(7), 6-7(6), 7-6(10).



“I didn’t sleep that well the next couple weeks after that, so I’m just glad we got our revenge,” Ebden said post-match. “We thought, ‘It’s our home Slam, our court. We’re Australians.’ And the crowd made a difference yesterday and today… To go through to the finals here is a dream.”



There were no breaks of serve in their US Open meeting, but Ebden-Purcell broke twice in the opening set on Thursday, taking the third and ninth games on break-point double faults from Ram, then Salisbury. There were no break chances for either side in the second, with all the drama saved for the tie-break.



Finishing just before their compatriots in Laver, the Aussies saved four set points and clinched victory on their second match point in the 11-9 tie-break.



"It was a strange one seeing that we broke them in the third game today," added Purcell. "They definitely lifted their level in the second set, but credit to us. We hung in there in the end. I helped Matty out a little bit when I needed to, and he helped me out when he needed to, and we got through."



It’s the 23-year-old Purcell’s second career major doubles final. He reached the 2020 Australian Open final alongside Aussie Luke Saville, before losing to Ram and Salisbury. Ebden, 34, had not been beyond the quarter-finals in 29 previous men’s doubles major appearances. He has gone all the way in mixed doubles, winning the 2013 AO title with compatriot Jarmila Gajdosova and reaching the final last year in Australia.



One year ago, the partners were on opposite sides of the net in the Australian Open second round, where Ebden and John-Patrick Smith won an all-Aussie match against Purcell and Saville.



The men’s doubles title match is set for Saturday night in Melbourne, giving both teams a day off for their final preparations.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/austral ... oubles-sfs

[Damian]

The Tour - Food Court: Kyrgios On Love For Sushi & His Cooking Skills

Spoiler:

Aussie discusses his diet, his brother's support in the kitchen and more
Sushi with a little romance on the side? Nick Kyrgios dishes on his pre-match meal, why he doesn’t’ eat before matches and what he’s throwing on the grill if he invited you around for dinner…

Go-to meal the night before a match?
Sushi is a good one for me; you get some carbohydrates with the rice, and you can monitor what you’ve had pretty easily. I like sushi because it’s kind of like an event: You go with your friends, your girlfriend or your partner, and it comes out on cute little plates, in cute little pieces, soy sauce, couple of giggles here or there. It’s romantic, so… sushi.

You’re having friends or family around for dinner, what are you cooking for them?
I’m a big fan of stir-fry noodles, they’re like my staple diet. I would probably buy some fresh Atlantic salmon and cut it into slices, maybe for some sashimi or chuck it on the grill. I can also make some good salads, so I’d chop up a couple of salads, mix it in, olive oil, lemon, all that type of stuff.

How do you rate your skills in the kitchen?
I’m actually pretty good, I’m pretty good in the kitchen. I’m a hubby, you know what I mean? I can whip up some good meals.

How long before a match would you eat?
If I’m playing in the afternoon or morning, I won’t eat before I play, I’ll just have a coffee and get out there. I don’t eat too much, and on match days I don’t eat much at all.

You May Also Like: Food Court: Dimitrov On Cheat Meals, Mom's Cooking & The Fruit He Won't Eat
Your brother Christos is a pretty fit guy. Does he help you with your diet?
He’s definitely very helpful and supportive with my diet. Very good cook; he can cook an amazing amount of food and very good quality. But I feel in general I’m actually pretty good. I don’t eat meat and try not to eat dairy at all, so my diet in general is actually something I take pride in, I feel like I eat pretty good. My brother’s a meat-eater, I’m not.

Is there anything you eat on the court during a match?
Yes, I eat a lot of bananas.

Grigor [Dimitrov] said he hates bananas…
Yeah, I know, but it’s the one thing you can get quick energy from. It doesn’t taste too bad, but Grigor… if I had that rig, I would not be wearing a shirt often, I’ll tell you that much.

If you go to a restaurant, what are you ordering? Any restaurant.
I like a good piece of salmon, cooked medium-rare, maybe some asparagus on the side, just a nice clean meal. And I love oysters, oysters are like my thing. Fun fact for you, oysters are an aphrodisiac, so… it’s where it starts.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kyrgios ... nuary-2022

[Bombardiero]

[Art]

[Damian]

Kokkinakis & Kyrgios Complete Dream Run, Win Australian Open

Spoiler:

They defeat Ebden and Purcell in all-Aussie final
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios completed their dream Australian Open run late Saturday evening when they defeated fellow Aussies Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell 7-5, 6-4 to lift the trophy.

The crowd favourites, who thrilled fans throughout the tournament with their entertaining play, are the first wild cards to win the event in the Open Era and the first wild cards to triumph at any major since Wimbledon in 2012, when Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen were victorious.

"This week has been a dream come true for me. I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else," Kyrgios said during the trophy ceremony. "Max has been to the final twice, so he's a hell of a doubles player. Matty's had a hell of a career, so I'm just super happy."

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Photo Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
This was the pair's fourth appearance at a major together. But in their three previous Grand Slam appearances, they won just one match. At this year's Australian Open, Kokkinakis and Kyrgios defeated four seeded opponents — top seeds Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, 15th seeds Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar, sixth seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus and third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos — en route to the trophy.
"Nick, I love you brother. I can honestly say we did not expect to even come close to this, but with the help of you guys all week, [it has] been unbelievable," Kokkinakis said. "The coverage it got and the support for us, we couldn't ask for anything more."

Heavy hitting from Kokkinakis and Kyrgios off the ground proved too much in the big moments in their one-hour, 35-minute victory. Purcell saved the first championship point at 3-5 in the second set with a big serve out wide. But in the next game, Kyrgios held to love.

The champions completed their victory when Kokkinakis punched a backhand volley through the middle of the court for a winner. Kokkinakis and Kyrgios dropped their racquets and immediately sprinted into a chest bump before embracing to celebrate their big win.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Photo Credit: Damian Traynor/Getty Images
In the first set, Kokkinakis hit big off the ground to claim the match’s first break, on his team’s fourth break point chance of the game, for 6-5. Their break in the second set, at 3-3, also came off big hitting from Kokkinakis, who struck a forehand that drew a volley error from Ebden.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios are the first all-Australian men’s doubles champions at the Australian Open since Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde triumphed in 1997. Both men are known for their singles play, but despite Adelaide champion Kokkinakis (first round) and Kyrgios (second round) losing in the singles draw by the second round, they bounced back to create a memorable run in the doubles.

"It's been a rough couple years for me personally... but what a month we've had. I couldn't ask for anything more," Kokkinakis said. "Coming into the Aussie Open, I was already happy, and this is a crazy cherry on top."

This was Ebden and Purcell's second tournament together after reaching last year's Australian Open quarter-finals. In 2020, Purcell made the Australian Open final with Luke Saville.

"They adapted really well. Gotta give them credit. We didn't do too much wrong. They were roping balls, front and centre lobs at our toes, smoking huge serves," Ebden said. "We sort of did everything we could, but just wasn't our day."

Did You Know?
This was the first all-Australian men’s doubles final at the Australian Open since Mark Edmondson and Kim Warwick defeated Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee in the 1980 championship match.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/austral ... bles-final

[Barty]

[Barty]

[Bombardiero]

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

Kyrgios On Australian Open Title: 'This One Ranks No. 1 For Me'

Spoiler:

Kokkinakis reflects on the pair's accomplishments in Melbourne
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios on Saturday became the first wild cards in the Open Era to win the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open. To say they were thrilled would be an understatement.

“I have won some big titles around the world, played some amazing matches. This one ranks [No.] 1 for me,” Kyrgios said. “When I say I wouldn't want to do it with anybody else, I mean it. It was just special. The whole week, winning each round, I didn't take it for granted. I was soaking it in.”

Kokkinakis, who crafted one of the early stories of the season when he triumphed in Adelaide for his first ATP Tour title, agreed with his longtime friend.

“Comparing to what I have gone through in the years I have had the past few years, I couldn't have asked for anything more. Adelaide was No. 1 for me, but this has trumped it,” Kokkinakis said. “To be a Grand Slam champion with my boy — we have known each other since we were eight, nine years old, done some serious things together, have had some serious experiences — but this is incredible. We didn't expect this at all.”

You May Also Like: Kokkinakis & Kyrgios Complete Dream Run, Win Australian Open
It has been an especially meaningful Australian summer for Kokkinakis. For years, the 25-year-old has struggled with injuries, which have largely kept him off the biggest stages in tennis.

“I knew what I was capable of, but you always have doubts and you always think to yourself, ‘What if it doesn't happen? What if my career doesn't plan out the way I want it to, or what if I never win a title or get a chance like that?’” Kokkinakis said. “To have the summer I've had, I was stoked with making a semi-final in Adelaide, just coming from not much in a Tour event and then to win, I was, like, ‘Can't get any better than this.’ Then to win a Grand Slam after that, this month has been unbelievable for me.”

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/than ... w'>Thanasi Kokkinakis</a> and <a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a>
Photo Credit: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios defeated four seeded teams en route to the title, including top seeds Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic and third seeds Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos. The Aussies beat countrymen Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell in the final. They served big and blasted away from the baseline to lift the trophy.

“I think if doubles players try and play how we play, it's not gonna work, and if we try and play how doubles specialists play, it's not going to work,” Kokkinakis said. “It's just how we've been brought up, and what we think gives us the best chance to succeed. There's heaps of ways to play doubles but for us pretty much playing singles in a half court works.”

Kyrgios admitted to feeling “like a completely different person” over the course of the fortnight, even waking up at 7:30 a.m. and arriving at the venue for a hit at 8:30 a.m. That paid off for the Australian duo. He said, “This is a memory that we are never going to forget.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kokkina ... l-reaction

[Bombardiero]

[Damian]

Kyrgios Awarded Indian Wells, Miami Wild Cards, Along With Murray

Spoiler:

Two-time champion Murray also wild carded for both ATP Masters 1000 events
Six-time ATP Tour titlist Nick Kyrgios is off to the Sunshine Swing. The Australian has received wild cards for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open presented by Itau, both tournaments have announced.

Kyrgios’ appearance in Indian Wells will be his his first since winning the Australian Open doubles title with Thanasi Kokkinakis. His best performance at the tournament, which will be played from 10-20 March, is a quarter-final run in 2017 that included straight-sets wins over Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic.

Fans in Florida will hope for more Miami magic from Kyrgios at Hard Rock Stadium, which hosts its own Masters 1000 event from 23 March to 3 April. The Australian’s 2017 semi-final clash with Roger Federer, played at the tournament’s former home in Key Biscayne, was voted ATP Match of the Year. A trio of tie-breaks was necessary to separate the pair in an all-time classic, Federer eventually prevailing 7-6(9), 6-7(9), 7-6(5) after more than three hours to clinch a first win over the Australian.

Former World No. 1 Andy Murray has also been awarded a wild card for the Miami event. The Brit, who was confirmed as a wild card in Indian Wells earlier this week, is a familiar face in Miami having trained frequently in the city throughout his career. He is a two-time champion at the tournament, having triumphed in 2009 (d. Djokovic) and 2013 (d. Ferrer).

Murray reached the final of the Sydney Tennis Classic in January but has exited his past four tournaments in the second round and will seek to go deep in both tournaments as he hunts a return to the Top 50 of the ATP Rankings.

Americans Jack Sock and Sam Querrey have also received wild cards for Indian Wells. Former World No. 8 Sock has pedigree in the California desert, reaching the semi-finals in 2017 and also picking up doubles titles in 2015 (w/Vasek Pospisil) and 2018 (w/John Isner).

Querrey also has a good record of picking up trophies in California, with three of his 10 ATP Tour titles coming at the ATP 250 event in Los Angeles. His run to the quarter-finals in 2018 remains his best showing at Indian Wells, and the 34-year-old will hope for a strong run as he seeks to get back into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/kyrgios ... wild-cards

[COA]

[DUN I LOVE]

@Mario, @COA, @Barty, wasz Nick z Naomką miło spędza czas na korcie treningowym. Może kiedyś będą parą.

[Art]

[Damian]

Alcaraz, Kyrgios & Co. On Deck For Super Shoot

Spoiler:

More than 150 players to pass through annual shoot in Indian Wells
Fast-rising Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is quickly becoming familiar with the inner workings of photoshoots. Recently he was the cover boy for Men’s Health and this week in Indian Wells he is participating in the joint ATP/WTA Super Shoot for the first time.

"It's nice to experience these kinds of moments. It's so different, off the court,” said the 18-year-old, who is already a member of the Top 20 in the ATP Rankings. “I like the photo shoots; it's the other part of your work. For me it's relaxing.

"I'm getting used to it a little bit more. Every tournament is a new shoot or new things to do."

You May Also Like: Lights, Camera, Action For Tsitsipas, Medvedev & Co. In Indian Wells
<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/nick ... view'>Nick Kyrgios</a> at the 2022 ATP/WTA Super Shoot in Indian Wells.

<a href='https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy ... view'>Andy Murray</a> at the 2022 ATP/WTA Super Shoot in Indian Wells.

Featuring around 150 players, the shoot began Monday and remained intense Tuesday and Wednesday as players busily filed through various stations for photo, video, social and website needs.

World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev led the field Tuesday, joining the likes of Andrey Rublev, Andy Murray and Nick Kyrgios, who rocked up in a purple Lakers’ hoodie. Wednesday’s lineup included Rafael Nadal, Matteo Berrettini, defending BNP Paribas Open champion Cameron Norrie, Alexander Zverev and Americans Sebastian Korda and Reilly Opelka.

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[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]