Thanasi Kokkinakis excited to play with ‘unconventional’ partner Nick Kyrgios in World Tour Finals doubles campaign

Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios kick off their Nitto ATP Finals doubles campaign against Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof in Turin on Monday, but Kokkinakis joked that his partner might not make it on time.

Kyrgios has been playing in an exhibition series in Mexico, beating Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Friday evening, marking a return to the court after pulling out of the Japan Open with a knee injury.

While most doubles partners would be preparing together, Kokkinakis faced the media in Turin solo and joked about his partner’s absence.

He said, laughing: “Hopefully he comes at some point, hopefully he comes before the first match starts. That would help.”

But Kokkinakis wasn’t only joking. He explained that he and Kyrgios have a unique approach to the doubles game.

He said: “We pretty much only play singles together. We try to serve well and use our singles strengths against the doubles guys.”

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios showed the strength of that approach at the Australian Open in January, winning the tournament as a wildcard entry.

The Australian admitted: “We’ve gotten better. We never really did well in doubles, on the main tour anyway but we did well and played with great energy.”

Kokkinakis also spoke about the energy he and Kyrgios like to play with: “When we’re relaxed and having fun, we play better. We pick the right moments to be focused and serious but I think when we’re having fun and relaxed, we play really well.”

With a strong relationship off the court, the Aussie duo have strong foundation to build on.

This is key for Kokkinakis: “It’s always good playing with a friend first. We’ve known each other since we were nine or ten years old but this is the first year we took it serious and tried to win.”

The Australian pair face a tough challenge if they are to go all the way in Turin, but Kokkinakis is not afraid. He said: “I definitely think we’re capable but everyone’s capable here. Everyone’s won Masters or big tournaments. It’s not easy. It’s a little bit different.”