AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2026

Nick Kyrgios

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Press Conference

KUBLER-POLMANS/Kokkinakis-Kyrgios

6-4, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Let's go straight to questions.

Q. Can you both speak a little bit about how you're feeling with the various injuries. Nick, you have mixed tomorrow. Thanasi you're scheduled for Davis Cup.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I mean, I think I'm going to be on ice for a while. I don't want to play another match feeling like that ever again, so...

I will take a serious break. Yeah, I told Lleyton he's got to take someone straight after. I don't know if he is asleep. Probably is, but I said you got to take a healthy body, someone that's a lot more ready than me.

I'm in no way, shape or form ready to compete at this level. So, yeah, I've got to do some things. I had some injections booked for after the tournament anyway. Yeah, I thought I'd be able to get through a doubles. Yeah, it's pretty disappointing.

NICK KYRGIOS: I'm super excited for mixed tomorrow.

Q. Thanasi, how bad is it, the pain? In Adelaide I think you were saying it was a different sort of pain to what you had over the last year. Have you any idea what the situation really is?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I mean, I went through a bunch of scans after Adelaide. Then kind of made my decision that I was nowhere near ready to play singles here. I thought, yeah, I don't know. I didn't want to feel like that, let alone that on a singles court. I was no chance.

Yeah, I mean, it's a slightly different spot, but I think it's all related. My right shoulder has had a lot of wear and tear. It's hard. Because in the back of your mind sometimes you're accepting, yeah, I don't know how much I have left. But then other parts, I still play some good tennis. I think if I can get this right, I've got a lot left. I don't know.

One thing is I'm going to try to do everything I can. If it's completely done, then I'll work that out. I'm going to try everything I can, yep.

Q. Nick, you said some of the rules weren't being followed. Anything in particular?

NICK KYRGIOS: Why are you smiling?

Q. Pardon?

NICK KYRGIOS: You know what the issue is. How can you review a ball that's been hit over the net, but you can't review a serve over the net? Doesn't make any fucking sense. Like, that's why I'm pissed off. Like, we're playing for millions of dollars. We've been both injured, both trying to get to this stage. Some of these rules are just so, so, so dumb. They don't make sense.

Yeah, so how can you not review a let? How can you not review that? How can you not just watch a ball just go over the net? How dumb does that sound?

Next question.

Q. Thanasi, can you speak about how it was to play in front of that crowd, getting behind both of you.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I mean, that's why we play. It's exciting. Unfortunately they saw probably a couple shadows of our former selves. That's what's tough. When you know you're not quite there.

Again, the crowd's incredible. It's why we play here. They're phenomenal. We almost got them up and about. They were getting up and about, but we couldn't get over the line. We were trying to do as much as we could. I gave it whatever I had. I know Nick did as well.

Yeah, it's annoying because they come out and support. They're phenomenal. They're the best fans in the world. We love playing in front of them.

But yeah, unfortunately we're just hobbled so it kind of sucks.

Q. Nick, can I get you to comment on the Australian Open, what it's become in the time both of you have been playing. Chime in as well, Thanasi. It's changed a lot. How does it compare to the other slams?

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I think it's crazy here. I mean, I think we're two of the players, our practices are always super packed. As Thanasi said, they are the best fans in the world.

At our doubles matches, our practices, they're always there. They're always showing great energy. It's been fun.

I think when we were young, like I remember the first time we both won our first rounds here, that's when we kind of fell in love with the atmosphere. Ever since then it's taken off to a whole new level.

It sucks. For me personally, I put in a lot of work. I'm probably in some of the best shape I've been in for a while. It just pisses me off that we go out there and compete, and some of these rules are just so gray areaed.

In my opinion, like, he's trying to serve, what he's got left, he hits a great serve to start the tiebreak. It's a horrendous call by the referee, horrendous. No let, all that. We do so much hard work to get out there. To feel like you're hard done by. I'm not saying that's the reason we lost. Like obviously Kubes and Polmans, they're great players. Just pisses me off because, like, now we both have to go back to the drawing board. Physically we're hobbling. It's just annoying.

But, yeah, the fans are amazing. The energy here is second to none pretty much.

Q. Nick, you played a bit now over the last month or so. How are you feeling physically?

NICK KYRGIOS: 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 months was too play all these events and to get through the Oz 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.