AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 14, 2021

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Nick Kyrgios

Press Conference

KOOLHOF-KUBOT/Kyrgios-Kokkinakis

6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. A tough one today. Could you just talk about the experience overall from both the singles and the doubles aspect?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, obviously it was a fun sort of week for us. I think we showed a lot to a lot of people. For me personally it was a great step back into kind of competitive tennis and at the highest level. Yeah, proud of the way I kind of handled myself and played this week, and for me, yeah, hopefully it's a good step forward of some more, and yeah, already looking forward to 12 months time where hopefully it's a more normal Aussie Open.

Yeah, doubles we weren't really expecting anything crazy. We just get along really well off the court and we're good mates so we just wanted to have some fun out there and I think we did that and the guys were just too good, so hats off to them.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I'm just happy that, it's kind of a relief when you get knocked out of a tournament like this, especially I feel like me and Thanasi carry a bit more weight than some of the other players, we're in a bit more of a spotlight so I found a bit of relief when I lost the other night. Not saying I wanted to, but I just wanted to have some fun today with Thanasi and we did that, too. It wasn't the same with the crowd. We knew if we played doubles together on Show Court 3 and Margaret Court Arena it was going to be insane atmosphere. That was what we were talking about. We knew it was going to be something pretty cool to go through together. But it is what it is, and I guess we just move on now. I'm not too sure what Thanasi's movements are or what mine are now, but yeah, I think it's been a pretty successful Aussie summer.

Q. Stefanos yesterday was not quite sure about Novak's injury. I know you tweeted about it the other day Thanasi and then pulled it down. Both your thoughts on Novak's situation? Do you think he may be accentuating potentially with those injuries?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: For me I have no idea what he's feeling or what he's going through. I just heard he thinks he has a torn muscle. I didn't mean it in a bad way at all. I'm like, if he can recover from a torn muscle in two days, like hats off. Like teach me, yeah.

But I don't know, I just -- because I knew some Serbian fans would take that in like a negative way, and I copped abuse for it, but it wasn't even taking a shot at him. I'm just like, if he actually has a torn muscle and can recover in two days, that's impressive, because I haven't been able to do that and it's taken me months.

But obviously he's a hell of a player, and yeah, I don't know, I'll be surprised if he doesn't play tonight. But yeah, I don't know.

Q. Nick, what was the thought process on that?

NICK KYRGIOS: Just feeling the love. Just trying to spread the good word of the celebration. Everyone loves that celebration. It's well liked.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: We were just having some fun out there really because there was no one in the crowd so we were just trying to enjoy ourselves and kind of get a bit of atmosphere and energy about us. It's nothing malicious, we just like to have some fun. Look, looking around there's literally just blue, and we're like, wow, this is tough. But we're just trying to have some fun.

I know tennis players are very serious, so I think that's why we've kind of got a bit of energy about us.

NICK KYRGIOS: We just banter anyway. When we tweet or when we just do stuff, it's for fun, you know, like you can't take it all too seriously. I feel like --

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: You've got to show a bit of personality.

NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, we're just having some fun. Novak, I'm sure, doesn't like me and we both have respect for each other, but I don't like him at all, so it's fun.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on joining Nick with the tournament doubles, the doubles effort?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I don't know, I was doing like a fake wave at the crowd because obviously there's no one there, but he took that one in his stride and I just let him have it. That was his moment.

NICK KYRGIOS: Cheers, bro.

Q. There was a couple of moments at the back of the court where you were absolutely doubled up laughing. What was happening there? What was the discussion?

NICK KYRGIOS: He was just telling me about his --

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It's just rubbish. He keeps doing this to me. Honestly we barely talk about tennis. A little bit was some of the shots I was pulling off was unreal that we thought we didn't do too much wrong on. I don't even know what we talk about half the time. Like our heads are everywhere. We're just literally trying to have some fun and enjoy the moment. Our Aussie Open days this year are probably numbered, so we were just having some fun with it and trying to enjoy it. Again, ideally it would have been in front of some people, but it's all right, it is what it is, we lost to the better team, and yeah, they're No. 4 for a reason, so it's all good.

Q. Obviously there's no idea really what this year is going to -- how it's going to unfold. But if there was the opportunity would you play more doubles together?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I think so, yeah. Definitely we play to have fun with each other and hopefully entertain the crowd a little bit and just, yeah, we're not going to any tournaments thinking, yeah, we're going to win this tournament. We just literally want to have fun, and we're going to try and win, obviously. But if we don't, it is what it is.

But I think, yeah, whenever we can play the same tournaments, I think we'll try and hit the doubles together. It's always good fun.