Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios might often be polarizing but he almost always ensures a thriller. His comeback to the Brisbane International was no different. After returning to the tour for the first time in 18 months and joining forces with Novak Djokovic in a surprise move, Kyrgios breezed to the second round of the doubles with the Serb maestro. Both players produced a riveting show but, according to the Serb, Kyrgios highlights as the main showstopper.

Any lingering concerns about the Aussie sensation’s physical health were instantly put to bed with the opening service game. He didn’t lose touch with his trademark power and, a flair for hitting jaw-dropping trick shots. Moreover, during the contest, the 29-year-old stunned the home crowd with a sensational tweener and capped the point with a sharp volley. While the duo’s incredible synchronization and athleticism remained constant, Djokovic validated his doubles partner’s bold claim from earlier.

Upon his arrival in Brisbane, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist called it a ‘pleasure’ for Nole to partner up with him for the much-awaited double trouble. “Everyone thinks it’s a pleasure playing with him, it’s actually a pleasure playing with me let’s be real.” To much surprise, the Olympic gold medalist agrees. After downing Austria’s Alexander Erler and Germany’s Andreas Mies in a stellar 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 10-8 showdown, Kyrgios told fans that he followed Kyrgios’s leads and it paid off.

During an-court interview, Djokovic said: “He said the other day it should be a pleasure to play with him. And it is! Whatever Nick was saying I was following.” Djokovic warming up to the ‘Bad Boy of Tennis’ who he had “not much respect” for off-court earlier, who would have thought? But here we are.

It’s not just on the court that Djokovic and Kyrgios are aligning well. The 24-time Major winner is echoing the thoughts of Kyrgios on the recent doping controversies as well.

Novak Djokovic criticizes authorities following Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner’s doping breaches

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic is all for player equality on the tour. He founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to bring about a healthy change in the system. Naturally, when the World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Polish Iga Swiatek tested positive for prohibited substances and got away without a lengthy ban, Djokovic expressed his concerns about perceived inconsistencies in handling such cases.

He said: “We had plenty of players who we’ve seen in the past, and also currently, who are under suspension for not even being tested on the banned substances, for missing the doping tests and whereabouts, and some players who are lower ranked waiting for their case to be resolved for over a year. I’m not questioning whether [Sinner] took the banned substance intentionally or not. But I’ve been frustrated, as most of the other players, to see that we were kept in the dark for five months since he was receiving that news.”

Nole will now commit himself to his upcoming singles encounter in Brisbane. The former World No. 1 will lock horns with Australian Rinky Hijikata on Tuesday, December 31. The Serb will want to put on a good show in Brisbane, before he makes his way to Melbourne, aiming to add an 11th Australian Open title to his tally.