They may have shared just one fully fit arm, but Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios still lit up a packed Kia Arena with trademark “Special K” flair. However, the crowd-pleasing duo pushed hard before falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4-10) to Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans, an exit that ended explosively as Kyrgios flipped his racket in a fiery Australian Open outburst.

Kokkinakis and Kyrgios dropped the opening set 6–4 against Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans in an all-Australian doubles clash. The match was intense from the start, with the crowd fully engaged and the atmosphere loud throughout the night session.

Tensions rose early in the second set. Kyrgios overhit a backhand return at deuce in the fourth game, with his team leading 2–1. Seconds later, he threw his racket onto the court and shouted in frustration.

As Kyrgios walked to retrieve his racket, television cameras cut to a child in the crowd. The child held a sign that read: “Nick, can I please have a smashed racket? You are my idol.”

The crowd reacted loudly to the moment. The chair umpire called for silence before play resumed. She had to repeat the warning later, which triggered boos from the stands.

More disruption followed when sections of the crowd began shushing together as Kyrgios prepared to serve. The unusual behavior left both teams laughing as they struggled to refocus on the match.

Kyrgios appeared frustrated with the noise. At times, he struggled to hear the umpire and clashed with her during a break in play. He seemed to shout: “I heard a code, but for what? I got one code…”

Despite the chaos, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis responded well. They stayed composed and claimed the second set 6–4, bringing the match level and energizing the arena even further.

The third set proved decisive. A medical timeout for Kokkinakis disrupted their momentum. The match went to a tense tie-break that stretched past midnight.

Kokkinakis later confirmed he would be “on ice” for some time. He also revealed he had texted Lleyton Hewitt to withdraw from the Davis Cup team due to the issue.

Even during the match, the former Wimbledon finalist drew attention by arguing with the umpire. He received an audible obscenity warning during the fiery contest, which added to the drama of the night.

Still, the pair entertained. When a fan shouted, “Who had Special K this morning?”, Kyrgios raised his hand. After a Kokkinakis winner in the second set, he nearly ran into his partner in celebration as they watched the replay.

Chair umpire Marijana Veljovic repeatedly appealed for calm, saying, “Guys, the support… the cheering is great… but it’s disturbing for players”. Her words were met with boos. She added, “Guys, this isn’t funny”.

Addressing the incident during the pressers, Kyrgios even called referee’s call ‘horrendous,’ and added:

“They [Rules] 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?”

And racket-throwing, however, is nothing new for Kyrgios, who has done it many times before.

Nick Kyrgios smashes rackets in furious US Open defeat

Nick Kyrgios smashing rackets in anger is nothing new. Like in today’s match, frustration has often boiled over for the Australian on court. His emotional reactions have followed him throughout his career, especially in high-pressure moments at major tournaments.

One of the most notable incidents came at the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios suffered a painful five-set quarterfinal loss to Karen Khachanov. After the defeat, the Aussie was furious. He repeatedly smashed his racket into the ground and then threw it away with force, completely destroying it in frustration.

Another high-profile moment involved Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells in 2022. Kyrgios reacted angrily after a heavy loss and flung his racket during the match. The incident became serious when a nearby ball boy had to duck for cover as the racket skidded across the court.

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After that match, Kyrgios addressed the incident directly. “Did I throw my racquet anywhere near him (the ball boy) originally,” Kyrgios said. “It landed a meter from my foot and skidded and nearly hit him. I’m human. Things happen like that. It was an accident.” His words reflected regret but also raw honesty.

Kyrgios has shown similar behavior even earlier in his career. Back in 2017 at the China Open, he lost the first set against Mischa Zverev in Beijing. At 5-3, he fired a shot out and immediately lost control.

The frustration was obvious. The ball sailed long. Kyrgios then launched his racket into the ground. It shattered instantly, leaving no doubt about his emotional state during that match.

Today’s Australian Open match followed a familiar pattern. There was anger, tension, and moments of comic relief. Still, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis could not fight his way through the first round at the 2026 Australian Open doubles. 

James McCabe and Li Tu advanced and booked a second-round clash with British top seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool.

Despite the double disappointment, Kyrgios is not done yet. He will return on Friday night in the mixed doubles. He will partner with Canadian star Leylah Fernandez. 

Do you think the Aussie can bounce back and win his mixed doubles match tomorrow?