Nick Kyrgios’ pursuit of reclaiming the Australian Open doubles title alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis was brought to a halt in the opening round.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis were knocked out of the competition by their Australian compatriots, Marc Polmans and Jason Kubler.
The ‘Special Ks’, as they have been dubbed, struggled with injuries during the match, which played a part in their 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 defeat to Polmans and Kubler.
Nick Kyrgios is good for tennis – Prove me wrong!
Both Kyrgios and Kokkinakis withdrew from singles at this year’s Australian Open, but opted to enter the doubles tournament together, which they won in 2022.
After the loss, the former Wimbledon finalist, who is also competing in mixed doubles at Melbourne Park, delivered a fitness update.
Nick Kyrgios delivers a fitness update after Australian Open exit
When asked how he is feeling physically in his post-match press conference, Kyrgios admitted: “I’m tired.
“Yeah, I mean, I’ve done a lot of travel. I mean, I haven’t really played any official tournaments.
“My goal in the last couple [of] months was to play all these events and to get through the Australian Open playing some doubles with Thanasi. There’s no one else I’d really want to play with, to be honest.
“I have mixed tomorrow. Then reevaluate what my schedule looks like. That’s it. I’ve ticked all my boxes, all my goals the last month and a half.
“I’ve done everything I thought I could do. I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
Kyrgios will play mixed doubles with former US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, with the two set to go face to face with the duo of Neal Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk in their opening match.
Nick Kyrgios’ results during the 2026 season so far
Kyrgios has entered two tournaments so far in 2026 and has played just three tour-level matches.
Before his Australian Open doubles loss, the 30-year-old star got his first doubles victory of the season with Kokkinakis at the Brisbane International, but the two exited the event in their second match against Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul.
What has been the biggest upset at the Australian Open so far?
He played his first singles match of the year against Aleksandar Kovacevic in Brisbane, but lost in straight sets.
Prior to his appearance in Melbourne, Kyrgios’ last tour-level appearance was at the 2025 Washington Open.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
