Nick Kyrgios has fired back at Pat Rafter’s claim the controversial Australian’s doubles act with Thanasi Kokkinakis is a ‘circus’, as the pair prepare to defend their crown at next week’s Australian Open.
The duo, nicknamed the ‘Special Ks’, revived the long-struggling doubles format at last year’s tournament, bringing packed crowds and media attention en route to the title.
But speaking on the Australian Open: The Happy Slam podcast, Rafter, Australia’s most recent male singles grand slam champion, accused Kyrgios and Kokkinakis of breaking unwritten rules around player etiquette during matches.
“The players are really upset about it,” Rafter said of the pair’s behaviour.
“I don’t know how that operates with them and doesn’t really bother me either way.
“It’s a bit of a circus… doubles is a great event, it’s a lot of fun, and it helps you with singles, but it’s not where it’s at. But at the same time, it’s entertainment.
“If they create drama, create ticket sales, and they create people watching, then good on them, but at what expense, I don’t know. The players are really upset.
“Are you supposed to understand the underwritten rule that that’s not how you behave when you do?”
Kyrgios took to Twitter shortly after Rafter’s remarks became public, describing the 1997 and 1998 US Open champion as ‘clueless’.
“He would have absolutely zero idea on what the locker room thinks,” Kyrgios wrote.
“Me and ‘Kokk’ have great relationships with most of the players on tour. Guy is clueless.”
Kyrgios’ sole pre-Australian Open tune-up event will be a practice match with Wimbledon conqueror and grand slam favourite Novak Djokovic on Friday night.
Tickets to the event reportedly sold out within 58 minutes.
Nick Kyrgios of Australia. (Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
Australia’s highest ranked female in the women’s singles, Ajla Tomljanovic, has missed out on a seed at next week’s Australian Open.
However, men’s top two Nick Kyrgios and Alex de Minaur have both been ranked inside the top 32, giving them an easier run through the early rounds.
Tomljanovic, along with Kyrgios, paid a heavy price for the ATP’s decision to not count ranking points accrued at last year’s Wimbledon due to the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, with their quarter-final and final runs respectively not added to their points tallies.
Tomljanovic was ranked 33rd before withdrawing from the United Cup with a knee complaint, which would have earned her a seeding given former World No.1 and 2018 finalist Simona Halep is missing the tournament due to a failed doping test.
However, her ranking currently sits at 35, sitting her just outside the seeding positions.
The full Australian Open draw will drop at 3pm on Thursday afternoon.
Full Australian Open singles seedings
Men’s singles
1. Rafael Nadal, 2. Casper Ruud, 3. Stefanos Tsitsipas, 4. Novak Djokovic, 5. Andrey Rublev, 6. Felix Auger-Aliassime, 7. Daniil Medvedev, 8. Taylor Fritz, 9. Holger Rune, 10. Hubert Hurkacz, 11. Cameron Norrie, 12. Alexander Zverev, 13. Matteo Berrettini, 14. Pablo Carreno Busta, 15. Jannik Sinner, 16. Frances Tiafoe, 17. Marin Cilic (withdrew), 18. Lorenzo Musetti, 19. Karen Khachanov, 20. Nick Kyrgios, 21. Denis Shapovalov, 22. Borna Coric, 23. Alex de Minaur, 24. Diego Schwartzman, 25. Roberto Bautista Agut, 26. Dan Evans, 27. Miomir Kecmanovic, 28. Grigor Dimitrov, 29. Francisco Cerundolo, 30. Sebastian Korda, 31. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, 32. Yoshihito Nishioka
Women’s singles
1. Iga Swiatek, 2. Ons Jabeur, 3. Jessica Pegula, 4. Caroline Garcia, 5. Aryna Sabalenka, 6. Maria Sakkari, 7. Coco Gauff, 8. Daria Kasatkina, 9. Veronika Kudermetova, 10. Madison Keys, 11. Paula Badosa, 12. Belinda Bencic, 13. Danielle Collins, 14. Beatriz Haddad Maia, 15. Petra Kvitova, 16. Anett Kontaveit, 17. Jelena Ostapenko, 18. Liudmila Samsonova, 19. Ekaterina Alexandrova, 20. Barbora Krejcikova, 21. Martina Trevisan, 22. Elena Rybakina, 23. Zhang Shuai, 24. Victoria Azarenka, 25. Maria Bouzkova, 26. Elise Mertens, 27. Irina-Camelia Begu, 28. Amanda Anisimova, 29. Zheng Qinwen, 30. Karolina Pliskova, 31. Kaia Kanepi, 32. Jil Teichmann
Naomi Osaka has announced she’s expecting her first child, just three days after one of the sport’s biggest stars announced she wouldn’t be competing at the Australian Open.
But while there had been some speculation after her withdrawal that the 25-year-old four-time grand slam winner might be pulling the plug on her career, the two-time Australian Open champ also revealed on Wednesday that she plans to be back in action in Melbourne next year.
Japan’s Osaka, who hasn’t competed on the WTA Tour since the Pan Pacific Open last September, said in a Twitter post, accompanied by what appeared like a pregnancy scan: “Can’t wait to get back on the court but here’s a little life update for 2023.
“I know that I have so much to look forward to in the future, one thing I’m looking forward to is for my kid to watch one of my matches and tell someone, ‘that’s my mom’, haha.'”
The news comes five days after another former world No.1, retired Australian great and reigning Australian Open champion Ash Barty, also announced she and her husband Garry Kissick were expecting their first child.
Osaka, who had not initially elaborated on her withdrawal from the Melbourne grand slam which she’s won twice in 2019 and 2021, added in her post that she expected to be back at the Australian Open in 2024.
“2023 will be a year that’ll be full of lessons for me and I hope I’ll see you guys in the start of the next one cause I’ll be at Aus 2024,” said Osaka, who’s also a double winner of the US Open, before signing off with the message: “Love you all infinitely”.
The superstar, who is in a relationship with rapper Cordae, added in her post: “The past few years have been interesting to say the least.
“But I find that it’s the most challenging times in life that may be the most fun. These few months away from the sport has really given me a new love and appreciation for the game I’ve dedicated my life to.
“I realise that life is so short and I don’t take any moments for granted, everyday is a new blessing and adventure. I knew that I have so much to look forward to in the future.”
Tennis Australia’s decision to overlook Bernard Tomic for a wildcard is looking increasingly contentious, with only one of the seven players picked ahead of the fallen star still in the hunt for a main-draw berth.
Local hopes are dropping like flies in Melbourne Park qualifying with just three of 29 Australians who started the week across the men’s and women’s competitions remaining.
Tristan Schoolkate is the only wildcard still standing after rallying for a 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-5 second-round qualifying win over Italian Raul Brancaccio on Wednesday.
Max Purcell and Aleksandar Vukic are the only other locals to make the final round of qualifiers. Seven Australians received wildcards ahead of Tomic as TA opted for youth and promise over the 30-year-old’s experience and credentials. Only three of those: Adam Walton, Dane Sweeny and Schoolkate, won their first qualifier across Monday and Tuesday, with four others knocked out.
Sweeny and Walton both crashed out on Wednesday. Sweeny lost 7-5 1-6 6-1 to Luciano Darderi while Walton stumbled from a set up to fall 2-6 6-2 6-4 to Peter Gojowczyk. Their exits turn the spotlight firmly on Tomic’s snubbing, which tournament director Craig Tiley had stood by on Monday.
Languishing at No.462 in the rankings, but still very much active on court, Tomic, a one-time world No.17, has been a fixture at the Melbourne Park grand slam every January since 2008. Despite being ranked ahead of several other Australian wildcard recipients, TA’s selection panel including Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt overlooked Tomic.
Purcell, meanwhile, progressed to the final round of qualifying by beating Damir Dzumhur 6-4 7-5, with Vukic’s hopes also alive after he beat Thiago Agustin Tirante 7-6 (7-4) 6-3.
But it wasn’t such a bright day for most Australians. Marc Polmans stumbled from a set up against veteran Argentine Marco Trungelliti 3-6 6-2 6-3 while Alex Bolt also let his second-round qualifier slip, knocked out by Italian Matteo Arnaldi 5-7 7-5 6-4.
Li Tu also exited in three sets, losing to Laurent Lokoli 6-1 6-7 (6-8) 6-2. All five Australian women in action lost. Destanee Aiava was a set up against Arianne Hartono but was ultimately defeated 3-6 6-3 7-6 (10-6).
Zoe Hives was thrashed 6-1 6-1 by Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva while Ellen Perez lost to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 6-3 6-2. Wildcard Astra Sharma was beaten by Simona Waltert 6-2 6-4 and Priscilla Hon lost to Katherine Sebov 6-2 6-2.
Thanasi Kokkinakis has sent his home-city fans into raptures with a rousing win over top seed Andrey Rublev to keep his Adelaide International 2 title defence very much on track.
Kokkinakis overcame an explosive first-set exchange with the chair umpire and the loss of the second set to upset the world No.6 with a sublime serving display on Wednesday night.
The South Australian crowd favourite rocketed down 17 aces to storm into the quarter-finals with a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win before a sellout crowd at Memorial Drive.
“It’s a big part of my game. If I’m serving well, I feel like I have a chance to beat a lot of guys,” a jubilant Kokkinakis said.
Under huge pressure to defend the rankings points from his winning his maiden ATP Tour title last year in birthplace, Kokkinakis is set to at least remain in the top 100 after making the quarter-finals once again at the final Australian Open lead-up event.
“I’ve had my best memories on this court,” he said. “Last year was an incredible feeling, something that you only dream of as a kid. To play in front on you guys in this atmosphere every night is incredible. Thank you.
“He hits the shit out of the ball. He’s a hell of a player, doing big things already and I’m stoked I got one of my biggest wins in front of you guys. So that’s awesome.”
(Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Kokkinakis will play Miomir Kecmanovic for a place in the last four after the Serb eliminated fellow Australian Jason Kubler 5-7 7-6 (7-1) 6-4.
Compatriot John Millman will turn his attention to an Australian Open wildcard crack after bowing out earlier in the second round on Wednesday.
The 33-year-old, who had a rough year on tour in 2022, was ousted 6-3 6-3 by world No.32 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Millman, ranked No.148 in the world, had battled through qualifying to reach the main draw of Adelaide and knocked off world No.38 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, another Spaniard, in the first round.
He vented his frustration at the chair umpire after Davidovich Fokina won the first set following a line-call challenge. Davidovich Fokina successfully challenged a shot by Millman that was originally called in.
Millman thought his opponent, who played and missed the next shot, took too long to challenge. “He goes for the winner, misses it and then says challenge. That’s where you have to go ‘no, it’s too late’,” Millman told the umpire.
He responded by breaking in the opening game of the second set but Davidovich Fokina broke straight back and won the next three games.
Davidovich Fokina will meet fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals after his fellow Spaniard eliminated Dutchman Robin Hasse 6-3 3-6 6-3.
Carlos Alcaraz, the world’s top-ranked men’s player, will begin his season on clay at next month’s Argentina Open after being forced to pull out of the Australian Open with a right leg injury.
The 19-year-old Spaniard will be missing the season’s opening grand slam, which begins in Melbourne on Monday, due to a muscle problem in his right leg.
(Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
“I’m really looking forward to starting my season in Buenos Aires this year, playing in a historic tournament that has been won by great champions,” the US Open champion, who is the first teenager to top the ATP rankings, said in a statement on Wednesday as he set his sights on the February 13 to 19 event in Argentina. The truth is I was very keen to go to Argentina, to play there, so I hope to see you all soon.”
Alcaraz missed the ATP Finals and Davis Cup at the end of last season after tearing an abdominal muscle during the Paris Masters. Last month, he said that he was back to almost full fitness but then suffered a setback by picking up the leg injury during pre-season training.
Alcaraz will join Diego Schwartzman, Cameron Norrie, Dominic Thiem and Lorenzo Musetti in the Argentina Open field.
Two-time Wimbledon winner Petra Kvitova is through to the quarter-finals of the Adelaide International 2 after Qinwen Zheng pulled the pin with a leg problem during their round-two match.
The Chinese world No.30 retired on Wednesday after dropping the first set 6-7 (6-8) and squandering three set points in the tiebreaker. She called for the trainer after the set and opted not to continue.
Kvitova earlier called on her fighting spirit, coming back from 5-3 down and breaking back when Zheng served for the set at 6-5. The Czech was down 6-3 in the tiebreak before winning the final five points of the match.
“It’s not nice to end the match as we (did). I wish her all the best for the (Australian Open), which is soon,” Kvitova said. Kvitova will meet world No.8 Daria Kasatkina in the last eight after the Russian beat Barbora Krejcikova 6-2 7-5.
Kvitova, who has been ranked as high as No.2 in the world and currently sits at No.16, had an impressive win over reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the first round.
The 2021 Australian Open finalist is coming off back-to-back victories in the United Cup where she beat Germany’s Laura Siegemund and American world No.3 Jessica Pegula in straight sets.
American Danielle Collins, who lost last year’s Australian Open to Ash Barty, also progressed to the quarter-finals with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) win over Swiss qualifier Jil Teichmann.
World No.13 and 2020 Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic beat qualifier Anna Kalinskaya, while Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia toppled Amanda Anisimova 6-4 7-5.
In the late match, France’s Caroline Garcia, the top remaining seed, earned a hard-fought 6-3 3-6 7-5 victory over Katerina Siniakova to earn a tie with Bencic.
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