Nick Kyrgios to team up with Novak Djokovic at Brisbane International

The Aussie tennis star made the surprising announcement just days after making a call on teaming up with Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Nick Kyrgios will make the leap from interviewing Novak Djokovic to playing doubles with him after declaring his intent to team up with the former world No. 1 in the doubles at the Brisbane International.

The tournament will mark Kyrgios’ return to competitive tennis after battling wrist and other injuries before he heads to Melbourne to play in the Australian Open using his protected ranking of 21 to get into the first grand slam of the year.

Kyrgios took to social media to confirm his latest pairing, using a photo of himself and Djokovic walking onto the court ahead of their 2022 Wimbledon final with the caption: “Doubles at Brisbane. See y’all there.”

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will play doubles together at the Brisbane International. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

It marks another step in the bromance between the pair who faced off in the 2022 Wimbledon final having since practised together, played exhibition tournaments together and conducted interviews while Kyrgios has been commentating during his injury lay-off.

And the pair joining forces will also see the Serbian tennis great fulfil one of his dreams.

In an interview at this year’s Australian Open, Djokovic said the pair simply needed to team up in doubles before he retired.

“You’ve got to promise me something … recover quick, come back to the tour before I retire and we’ve got to play doubles,” Djokovic told Kyrgios in January.

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic will play doubles together in Brisbane. pic.twitter.com/kEeFcUQWa6

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) December 16, 2024

But while Kyrgios will play doubles in Brisbane to ramp up court time before his return to Melbourne Park, a reunion with good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis – whom he won the Australian Open men’s doubles crown with in 2022 – isn’t as clear cut.

“Everyone loved it last time, we loved it, it was so much fun,” Kokkinakis said last week.

“It’s definitely not going to be the priority for us. We feel like we owe it to people to get back out there and have some fun.

“It’s not something we’ve practised, but singles is definitely the goal. It’s a tricky one. If you have a big five-setter, with all due respect, the last thing you want to do is go out and play doubles the next day, but we’ll play it by ear and see how it goes.”

Originally published as Nick Kyrgios to team up with Novak Djokovic at Brisbane International