Nick Kyrgios will team up with Novak Djokovic at the Brisbane International, crediting the former world No.1 for motivating his return from a serious injury.

From Rivals to Partners

Once bitter rivals but now firm friends, Kyrgios and Djokovic will play doubles at the Queensland tournament, which begins on December 29. The pair are using the event to warm up for next month’s Australian Open, where Kyrgios has secured a direct entry using an injury-protected ranking.

The Australian made the announcement via Instagram, sharing a photo of himself and Djokovic walking onto the court for their 2022 Wimbledon final—a match he lost in four sets. Kyrgios captioned the post:

“Doubles at Brisbane. See y’all there.”

Djokovic’s Motivation for Kyrgios’ Comeback

Djokovic had earlier expressed his desire to play doubles with Kyrgios before retiring. During an interview at this year’s Australian Open, the 24-time Grand Slam champion told Kyrgios:

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

Kyrgios has struggled with career-threatening wrist and knee injuries, undergoing three rounds of surgery. He has managed just one ATP match since reaching the 2022 US Open quarter-finals.

The Turning Point: A Pep Talk from Djokovic

Reflecting on his comeback, Kyrgios revealed that a pep talk from Djokovic at Wimbledon helped reignite his determination to return.

“I was hitting with Novak, and when he said to me, ‘It doesn’t look like you’ve had surgery,’ that was a big motivation. I didn’t really know if I was making progress, but that gave me the drive to keep pushing on.”

Kyrgios admitted he had contemplated quitting tennis, especially after his wrist was slow to recover following surgery 15 months ago.

Warm-Up Schedule: Abu Dhabi and Brisbane

Before Brisbane, Kyrgios will compete in the World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi on December 19. The mixed-team event will also feature tennis stars like:

• Iga Swiatek
• Casper Ruud
• Aryna Sabalenka
• Taylor Fritz
• Daniil Medvedev

Doubles Future with Kokkinakis Uncertain

Kyrgios previously won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside Thanasi Kokkinakis. However, Kokkinakis recently hinted at uncertainty about their doubles campaign at Melbourne Park this year:

“Everyone loved it last time. We loved it; it was so much fun. But singles is the goal.”

The duo’s focus remains on singles matches, with Kokkinakis adding:

“If you have a big five-setter, the last thing you want to do is go out and play doubles the next day. We’ll play it by ear and see how it goes.”