The Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic Show lights up the Brisbane International

Returning Australian star Nick Kyrgios and the legendary Novak Djokovic gave fans one of the greatest shows in tennis, lighting up Pat Rafter Arena during their doubles victory.

The Nick and Novak Show has lived up to the hype at Pat Rafter Arena.

Playing doubles together, returning Australian star Nick Kyrgios and the legendary Novak Djokovic had the packed crowd in the palms of their hands in their thrilling first-round 6-4 6-7 (10-8) win over Austrian Alexander Erler and German Andreas Mies.

Once foes, Kyrgios and Djokovic formed a tight bond on court as they thrilled their many fans with a host powerful of ground strokes, as well as some deft touch, that eventually proved too much for Erler and Mies, and booked them a round-of-16 meeting with top-seeded pairing Nikola Mektic and Michael Venus.

“I want to thank Nick for playing. He said the other day that it should be a pleasure to play with him, and it is,” a playful Djokovic said in teasing his new doubles partner.

“(But) I haven’t played that many doubles matches in my life, particularly in the last five years, so whatever Nick was saying, I was following.”

A gracious Kyrgios said he was “surprised” that Djokovic “doubted himself”.

“I was (telling him) ‘brother, you’re the greatest of all-time,” Kyrgios said.

“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 and loving the energy.

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic celebrate their victory. Picture: Patrick Hamilton/AFP

“We promised we were going to do this one time before either he goes or I go, so I’m glad we’re still alive.”

While there were a host of Serbian flags flying around the arena in honour of 24-time Grand Slam singles winner Djokovic, it was Kyrgios who received most of the vocal support in his return to competitive tennis after an injury-enforced absence of 18 months.

Screams of encouragement for Kyrgios included “we believe in you Nick”, “we love you Nicky” and “Nick, we love you on court”.

Djokovic, an adopted Aussie for the occasion, wasn’t totally forgotten, with the cry of “Novak fans in the stands, if you hear me clap your hands” being followed by a warm round of applause for the 37-year-old Olympic Games gold medallist.

It wasn’t until the 10th game of the match, in which Djokovic and Kyrgios snared the all-important break of serve that secured them the first set, did the pair genuinely start to engage with the crowd.

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— Brisbane International (@BrisbaneTennis) December 30, 2024

It came on the back of a brilliant winner from Djokovic, who despite being well outside of the court, nailed a backhand down the line that was too good for Erler and Mies.

Djokovic immediately ran to celebrate with Kyrgios, before urging an already delirious crowd to make even more noise.

Kyrgios followed Djokovic’s lead on the following point, playing up to the fans who were being treated with the entertainment they were craving for.

Earlier, however, Djokovic showed his serious side with a cry of frustration after an attempted lob fell well short of its mark.

It showed that while there was a fun side to the match, it was also being used by both Djokovic and Kyrgios to fine-tune their games ahead of their assault on the men’s singles tournament.

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios out on a show in Brisbane. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Both are in action on Tuesday, with top seed Djokovic meeting another Australian in Rinky Hijikata, and Kyrgios taking on Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.

If they keep winning their singles matches, Djokovic and Kyrgios will be on opposite sides of the net in a semi-final.

However, it was their work as a team that had the fans screaming for more on a memorable Monday night in Brisbane.

Originally published as The Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic Show lights up the Brisbane International