Kyrgios-Kokkinakis saw their Australian Open men’s doubles campaign come to a dramatic end on Thursday, falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-7 (4-10) to fellow Aussies Mark Polmans and Jason Kubler. But more than the defeat, Kyrgios’ angry outburst after the match has now become a headline.

Despite Kyrgios playing with heavy strapping on his knee, the pair pushed the match to a deciding 10-point tiebreaker. However, the contest turned contentious after a let was called on Kokkinakis’ serve, a decision both players strongly disagreed with, as they believed the ball had cleared the net. The drama escalated when Kubler and Polmans requested a video review over an alleged contact with the ball on the wrong side by Kokkinakis. The review was granted, costing the Special Ks another crucial point and adding fuel to their frustration.

“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 f–king sense. Like, that’s why I’m p— off. Like, we’re playing for millions of dollars. We’ve both injured, both trying to get to this stage. Some of these rules are just so, so, so dumb. They don’t make sense,” visibly irritated, Kyrgios vented post his match.

Kyrgios continued, emphasizing the emotional toll of the loss and the effort both he and Kokkinakis invested despite injury setbacks. “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 p— me off that we go out there and compete, and some of these rules are just so ‘gray area-ed.’” According to his statements, it was a horrendous call by the referee.

Nick Kyrgios urged tennis authorities to address what he described as “gray area” rules that can unfairly impact outcomes. Now eliminated, the Special Ks will head back to reassess their next steps. But this defeat has raised some serious question marks about their future. And guess what? This rule-change call wasn’t the only drama in this epic duel!

Nick Kyrgios does what he loves doing

Nick Kyrgios once again turned a tennis match into pure theater at the Australian Open, as chaos, crowd drama, and raw emotion defined the Special Ks’ fiery first-round doubles exit. The drama escalated in the second set when Kyrgios overhit a backhand return and moments later, hurled his racket onto the court in frustration. As he walked to retrieve it, cameras caught a young fan holding a sign.

“Nick, can I please have a smashed racket? You are my idol,” the card read, sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Chair umpire Marijana Veljovic struggled to maintain order, repeatedly calling for silence, warnings that were met with loud boos. At one point, sections of the crowd began shushing in unison as Kyrgios prepared to serve, leaving both teams laughing in disbelief as they tried to regain focus. Nick Kyrgios, visibly irritated, clashed with the umpire during a break in play, appearing to shout,

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“I heard a code, but for what? I got one code…” He later received an audible obscenity warning, adding another layer of controversy to an already explosive night.

There was a moment when we also saw Kyrgios lean into the entertainment, responding to a fan yelling, “Who had Special K this morning? by raising his hand. Overall, the match was really action-packed.

Post-match, Kokkinakis admitted his shoulder issues could keep him sidelined for some time. He revealed he had also texted Lleyton Hewitt to withdraw from the Davis Cup team due to the issue. “I don’t want to play another match feeling like that ever again, so I will take a serious break. 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. I thought I’d be able to get through a doubles. It’s pretty disappointing.”

Nick Kyrgios is scheduled to play the mixed doubles match alongside Leylah Fernandez on Friday. According to him, “I am tired and have traveled a lot. I haven’t actually played any official tournaments. My goal in recent months was to participate in all these events and play some doubles at the Australian Open with Thanasi. To be honest, there is no one else I really want to play with. Tomorrow I have a mixed match. After that, I will reassess my schedule. That’s all. I have fulfilled all my goals of the last month and a half. I have done everything I thought I could do. From now on, I don’t know what I’m going to do,”

So, there has been considerable uncertainty raised about their future following this defeat. But one thing is for sure: wherever Kyrgios goes, entertainment, controversy, and unforgettable moments are never far behind.