Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios said that he and his countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis were surprised after being pitted against each other.
Nick Kyrgios : Thanasi Kokkinakis | US Open | stats
In doubles, Kyrgios has a career-high ranking of world No. 18, achieved on 22 August 2022, winning a major doubles title at the 2022 Australian Open and reaching the semifinals of the Miami Open, both times partnering Thanasi Kokkinakis.
| Singles | |
|---|---|
| Career record | 200–112 (64.1%) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 13 (24 October 2016) |
| Current ranking | No. 26 (22 August 2022) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2015) |
| French Open | 3R (2015, 2016) |
| Wimbledon | F (2022) |
| US Open | 3R (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) |
In his junior career, Kyrgios won the singles event at the 2013 Australian Open and the doubles events at the 2012 French Open, the 2012 Wimbledon and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.
In his professional career, he has reached a singles major final at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships and two major quarterfinals (at 2014 Wimbledon, upsetting then-world No. 1 Rafael Nadal en route, and the 2015 Australian Open).
Thanasi Kokkinakis
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios said that he and his countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis were surprised after being pitted against each other in the first round of the men’s singles draw of US Open 2022. On Tuesday, August 30, Kyrgios defeated Kokkinakis 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Kyrgios clearly stated that he never wants to face Kokkinakis ever again in his career. However, he also sounded excited about partnering his Aussie teammate in the men’s doubles at the US Open.
“I thought I played a really good first couple of sets and got on top of the match early. When we both saw the draw it was a nightmare. We never want to play each other. He probably beats 80 per cent of the draw tonight. I’ve got so much respect for him. I can’t wait to play doubles with him in a few days on the right side of the net,” Kyrgios was quoted as saying after the match.
Kyrgios, who finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon after losing to Novak Djokovic, defeated Kokkinakis in straight sets and advanced to the second round of the hard-court tournament.
Nick Kyrgios us open
Australian Nick Kyrgios overcame his despair at seeing dear friend Thanasi Kokkinakis on the other side of the net on Monday, outclassing his compatriot 6-3 6-4 7-6(4) in the first round of the U.S. Open.
The doubles partners won together at the Australian Open but landed on opposite sides at the year’s final major, where an in-form Kyrgios kept his sublime year on track, never facing a break at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the battle of the “Special Ks”.
“Probably one of the most uncomfortable matches I’ve played in my career,” Kyrgios, 27, told reporters. “I feel like we both had a game plan. We know our games so well.
“From the get-go, I was trying to block out his body and just play the tennis ball. I was really trying not to look at him at all. I felt like that kind of helped me.”
Stats
Kyrgios played his first junior match in 2008 at the age of 13 at a grade 4 tournament in Australia. He won his first ITF junior tour title in Fiji in June 2010, aged 15.
| Singles | |
|---|---|
| Career record | 200–112 (64.1%) |
| Career titles | 7 |
| Highest ranking | No. 13 (24 October 2016) |
| Current ranking | No. 26 (22 August 2022) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (2015) |
| French Open | 3R (2015, 2016) |
| Wimbledon | F (2022) |
| US Open | 3R (2014, 2016, 2018, 2019) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 63–53 (54.3%) |
| Career titles | 4 |
| Highest ranking | No. 18 (22 August 2022) |
| Current ranking | No. 18 (22 August 2022) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (2022) |
| French Open | 3R (2017) |
| US Open | 3R (2016) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Career record | 6–6 (50.0%) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (2020) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (2015, 2021) |
| US Open | 2R (2015) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | SF (2015, 2017) |
| Hopman Cup | W (2016) |
In his first-round qualifying match at the 2012 Australian Open, Kyrgios won the first set in a tiebreak, but his opponent Mathieu Rodrigues cruised through the second and third sets to defeat him. Kyrgios then competed on the 2012 ITF Men’s Circuit for the rest of the season, competing in tournaments in Australia, Germany, Japan and Slovenia. At the end of the season, he had reached a semifinal and a quarterfinal in Australian tournaments. He finished the year with a singles ranking of 838.