Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis’ campaign at the Australian Open came to an abrupt end on Thursday, marked by a retirement during their doubles match against James Duckworth and Aleksandar Vukic. The 2022 champions returned to Melbourne Park as a duo for the first time in three years, but their performance was hampered by physical ailments. Kyrgios had been battling wrist and abdominal issues in the weeks leading up to the tournament, while Kokkinakis appeared fatigued following a grueling five-set singles loss to Jack Draper just a day earlier. The match was called off with Duckworth and Vukic leading 7-5, 3-2.
The retirement was officially attributed to Kokkinakis’ inability to continue, but the match was not without its share of drama. Midway through the first set, Kyrgios received a code violation from the umpire after he struck the ball into the net and then hit it again as it rebounded. This decision prompted a heated response from Kyrgios, who passionately defended his partner’s efforts to play despite their injuries. “Bro, really? You’re really going to do that?” Kyrgios exclaimed, expressing frustration over the umpire’s decision to penalize Kokkinakis for a moment of frustration.
Kyrgios continued his outburst during a subsequent changeover, questioning the fairness of the code violation given their circumstances. “We’re both injured, right? Full stadium of people to come see us play, and he doesn’t have to be here, and he hits a ball out of pain, and you’re going to give him a code violation?” he argued. His comments highlighted not only the emotional toll of their physical struggles but also the pressures faced by players competing at such a high level. As the match concluded, Kyrgios voiced concerns about the potential repercussions of the umpire’s ruling, indicating that they might face a fine due to the code violation.
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