Special Ks: ‘We are changing the game of tennis’

In their first ever joint photo shoot, Aus Open winners Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis open up to Stellar on their 15-year friendship and reveal who they really are behind their brash attitudes.

“He can say whatever he wants to say, but I’m always sticking by him.” It’s this statement – made by tennis player Thanasi Kokkinakis during an interview with Stellar – that cuts straight to the heart of his friendship with Nick Kyrgios, who is seated beside him.

Right now, the bold-as-brass pair, now known to millions as the “Special Ks”, are riding high after winning the men’s doubles title at last month’s Australian Open. But each has also experienced the bruising lows that a tennis career can serve up. In their professional lives, the only constant has been each other.

So it’s only fitting that, days after their first Grand Slam victory on the grounds of Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena, the two meet again, this time in Sydney, to accomplish another first: a joint photo shoot.

While one achievement might seem slightly more significant than the other, Kyrgios argues otherwise. “My perspective on life is I don’t take anything for granted,” he tells Stellar. “Including the past two hours.”

“We are changing the game of tennis. To have that power is special” (Picture: Jesse Lizotte)

While the public is coming to terms with the irreverent wildcard entrants who played more to the crowd than their opponents, garnered nearly as much media attention as singles champions Ash Barty and Rafael Nadal, and walked away with a title in only their fourth grand slam together, the Special Ks insist they are not a fluke.

“We weren’t just trying to put on a show without substance behind it,” Kokkinakis, 25, explains.

“We weren’t taking the piss. We competed as hard as we could. We tried to chase down every ball. We were just having fun and giving it 100 per cent, and the results paid off.” Adds Kyrgios, 26, “Most tennis players in general don’t have much outside of tennis. They feel like at that moment in time, they have to be very professional.

“They feel like if they do laugh, or do talk to the crowd, they aren’t giving the game their full attention… Right now, there are teams we beat who are very upset. But if you are able to find balance, that can help you for the better.”

Putting the fun in functional is what bonded the pair in the first place.

At an U9 kids tournament in Canberra, the Adelaide-born Kokkinakis was at the top in his age group; Canberra-based Kyrgios led his. “I saw this big boy play, and his dad was wearing all [Michael] Jordan gear,” Kokkinakis recalls. “And I thought, this is my type of guy.”

The way they played, their outside interests and their Greek heritage cemented the friendship. “I don’t really click that well with too many other Australian tennis players; not that I don’t necessarily like them,” says Kyrgios. “I just don’t get along with them as well. But with Kokk, it’s easy. We don’t have to say much. We just know.

“I always feel comfortable opening up to him and telling him if I’m struggling. I don’t do that often. I don’t like telling people who I don’t trust. There are a lot of people out there who don’t give a f**k about how I feel; he’s not one of them.”

“I knew I needed to lead by example, get my training done, be professional. Because if we do win, it opens up opportunities he’s been searching for” (Picture: Jesse Lizotte)

“We have to keep entertaining. We have no choice.” (Picture: Jesse Lizotte)

As teenagers earmarked for tennis glory – they won the Wimbledon junior doubles title together and faced each other in an Australian Open boys’ final – turning pro turned the tide.

While Kyrgios defeated top-ranked players at the same time he mouthed off at umpires, Kokkinakis slipped in the rankings after sustaining injury after injury involving his back, shoulder, abdomen, pectoral muscles, groin, knee and elbow.

But most debilitating of all was seeing his peers pass him by and having “people wondering why you’re not kicking on or why you’re always injured”, Kokkinakis says.

“Seven years after I broke into the Top 100, I’m only now on the cusp of that again. There have been a lot of hours, a lot of training sessions and a lot of mental struggles, to be honest, to get there. It’s an absolute roller-coaster. I definitely thought about quitting many times.”

Keeping him in the game were his family and Kyrgios, who was always there to distract with chatter (a shared passion) or listen as he opened up about his struggles.

“One thing I’ve realised is that when everything is going well, everyone wants to jump on,” Kokkinakis reflects.

“But when there is a bit of a lull, everyone forgets about you. You know, eventually you’re going to rise again and start playing well, and you remember the people who were keeping in contact and who weren’t.”

The ability to handle disparaging beatdowns was an acquired talent his pal was happy to share. “Every year for the past five years, I’ve woken up to comments like, ‘You’re a wasted talent,’ ‘You’re the most talented player to never win a slam,’” Kyrgios concedes.

“I’ve gone through periods in my life when I’ve really struggled mentally and I was in some dark places with dark thoughts. I’m so proud to see Thanasi rise up and how he’s responded. I’m sure he’s had times, like me, where he’s thought, I don’t want to do this anymore.

I don’t want to deal with the media. Everyone is expecting me to be this person and I just don’t want to be. But here we are: grand slam champions.”

Creating some noise to go with their win was also a way for Kyrgios to generate some cash for Kokkinakis, who is without an apparel sponsor and competed at the Australian Open in $40 shorts from Cotton On.

“Everyone is expecting me to be this person and I just don’t want to be. But here we are: grand slam champions.” (Picture: Jesse Lizotte)

“I knew I needed to lead by example, get my training done, be professional. Because if we do win, it opens up opportunities for Thanasi that he’s been searching for these past years,” Kyrgios explains about his approach to doubles on his friend’s behalf, which saw him awake by 7.30am and training by 8am. “I wouldn’t be doing that for myself.”

True to form, their maiden grand slam also came with controversy. They were accused of stealing Barty’s glory after Kyrgios allegedly claimed they were the reason the Australian Open scored high television ratings.

But in response to those headlines, Kyrgios wants to clarify: “We knew it was her moment. Thanasi is closer to Ash than I am, but I grew up with her. We’ve travelled around the world together as juniors. We got food together at [US fast food chain] Chipotle in the States.

“I’m not a jealous or envious person. I don’t compare what someone else is doing in their life. Ash is an absolute champion. What I was saying is that I thought me and Thanasi set the tone earlier in the week so Ash obviously went under the radar. When she got to the semi and final, I’m not surprised she had more crowd watching her.”

Furthermore, after the deportation of Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios adds, “I feel like we created an atmosphere that was second to none after the Novak garbage [when the tennis champ was kicked out of the country for being unvaccinated] had tainted the Australian Open. But we won. Ash won. It was Dylan [Alcott’s] last Open; [Sam] Stosur’s last Open. We all did a good job in making it count. It is probably my favourite Australian Open yet.”

The doubles crown topped off an already incredible month for Kokkinakis, who won his first singles title in Adelaide and is ranked No. 94 in the world, ahead of Kyrgios at No.  122.

Kokkinakis now heads overseas to play while Kyrgios will spend more time with his girlfriend, influencer Costeen Hatzi. Despite only going public with their relationship in December, Kyrgios raced from Melbourne to Sydney the morning after his victory to be with Hatzi. It was, he says, a trip he took “to get back to a sense of normality”.

As for how this relationship affects the tournaments he plays in, Kygrios plans to take it one day at a time.

“Relationships are easy when both people are invested. It’s hard to move a couch on your own,” he quips.

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis star on this Sunday’s Stellar.

“I have had a couple past relationships that are brutal when you’re away from them for so long. It does affect you when you’re on the court. The luxury I have now in my career is that I’m able to provide for the person and if they want to travel with me they can. I’m in a very blessed situation that not many people are able to do. Hopefully everything works out but I don’t plan anything anymore.”

What he does plan to commit to, though, is doubles tennis. “We are changing the game of tennis,” Kyrgios says, “And I think Thanasi has realised he’s part of that, too. He’s one of the select few players who actually can do it.

“To have that power is special. To have people tune in. We have to keep that going. We are obliged to do that. Otherwise the sport will stay stagnant and I don’t think it will grow. We have to keep entertaining. We have no choice.”

As for any media backlash that comes in response to their unmitigated showmanship, Kyrgios shrugs. “I’m used to it, but I don’t tolerate it,” he says. “Back earlier in my career, I got told, ‘Don’t feed the fire.’” Kokkinakis jumps in, finishing his thought: “Now, he puts gasoline on it!”

Originally published as Special Ks: ‘We are changing the game of tennis’