Nick Kyrgios, 'Special K' is No More

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis didn’t just win the 2022 Australian Open doubles title together. They bulldozed through the draw like a pair of absolute madmen, earning themselves the nickname “Special K’s” and giving the tournament more attitude than it had seen in years. It was electric and chaotic. It was peak Kyrgios.

That period marked something of a career resurrection for Nick. His singles game caught fire, too, carrying him all the way to the Wimbledon final that same year. For once, the tennis world wasn’t talking about what Kyrgios could be. We were watching what he was. Then, as has become frustratingly predictable, his body betrayed him. Injuries piled up. The promising run ended before it really began.

Now he’s back for 2026, and we’ve finally got some early tape to study. Brisbane gave us two matches: one doubles, one singles. And if we’re being honest? The results are … complicated.

Nick Kyrgios is “Special K” No More

The Doubles Match: Flashes of Brilliance, Familiar Flaws

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis took on Doumbia and Reboul, a legitimately solid pairing. The first set was a bloodbath. Special K got bageled 6-0, which is about as un-special as it gets. They clawed back to take the second set 6-1, showing they still have that gear when they need it. But when the match tiebreak arrived and the pressure mounted, they folded.

Here’s the thing, though: Kyrgios looked decent out there. His hands at the net still have that touch. His serve? Still good. Genuinely elite. The man could roll out of bed after a three-year hiatus and still hit 130 mph serves with pinpoint placement. That part hasn’t gone anywhere.

What was clear is that his game swings wildly between spectacular and sloppy, sometimes within the same point. Given the layoff, that’s expected. But doubles is forgiving. It’s less running and less grinding. Singles, unfortunately, showed us the other side of the coin.

The Singles Match: A Reality Check

This is what everyone wanted to see. Could Kyrgios still compete in singles? Can he make another run at the top of the game?

Based on Brisbane, the answer isn’t encouraging.

His opponent was Aleksandar Kovacevic, a solid if unspectacular American. Kyrgios lost in 66 minutes. It wasn’t particularly close. More worryingly, it wasn’t particularly competitive.

The movement was the glaring issue. Nick looked slow. Not “rusty after three years off” slow. …slow. He doesn’t have the bounce anymore, doesn’t have whatever it was that made him such a nightmare to play against. You can’t fake mobility in tennis. Either you can cover the court or you can’t, and right now, Kyrgios can’t.

His serve kept him in rallies, though even that looked a notch below vintage Kyrgios. He won all but six points behind his first serve, which sounds impressive until you realize that against truly elite competition, those margins evaporate quickly. Kovacevic isn’t Djokovic. He isn’t Sinner. And he still won easily.

The impatient, high-risk style that made Kyrgios so thrilling to watch? Still there. But without the physical tools to back it up, it just looks reckless.

So What’s Next?

Honestly? Who knows.

We don’t even know if Kyrgios wants to grind it out for another five years. The man has never exactly been known for his love of the tour’s relentless schedule. What we do know is that the player we saw in Brisbane isn’t the player who made the Wimbledon final. Maybe a few more months of match play will bridge that gap. Perhaps the sharpness returns, the legs wake up, and we get one more genuine run from him.

But maybe not.

Three years away from competitive tennis is a lifetime in this sport. Bodies don’t just bounce back, especially bodies that were already breaking down. Sure, the serve remains a weapon. But tennis isn’t just about the serve, and Kyrgios has never been the type to compensate with discipline and patience.

The early returns suggest we might need to adjust our expectations. This might not be a comeback story. It might just be a goodbye tour with a few entertaining moments sprinkled in.

Special K? We’ll see. Right now, no more.