Former Australian Open champions Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis will reunite for their first appearance as a Brisbane International doubles tandem on Sunday.

The showdown against fellow Aussie Matt Ebden and Rajeev Ram closes the opening day’s play at Pat Rafter Arena and marks the first match back for both from long-term injury woes last season.  

“I have been playing some great tennis of late. I personally feel better than I did a year ago,” Kyrgios said. “I think a lot of stress has kind of gone from my life type of thing. I just feel a lot better …

“I guess my goal is to leave Brisbane with a sense of, ‘That was a fun week, you gave everything you had, and whether you came up short or not, you gave a good show to the people’.”

Kyrgios said a steady return to competition through exhibition events in New York and Dubai had given cautious cause for optimism about the summer of tennis ahead.

“I’m pretty proud of myself the last month and I’m just really looking forward to going out there and competing at the highest level again,” he said. “It’s all a blessing at this point.”

 

 

Former world No.9 Daria Kasatkina opens the schedule at Pat Rafter Arena on Day 1 against Austria’s Anastasia Potapova – an opponent she has never faced – in her first match on Australian soil as an Aussie.

The 28-year-old called time early on her season in October due to physical and mental exhaustion but time away from the sport had primed her for beginning her season in Brisbane again, albeit with a distinct feel.

“I obviously feel different this year, obviously nervous,” she said. “But, you know, coming here feels, always felt special, but this time extra special.

“I’m really looking forward to my first match, and, you know, going to now push triple compared to the last years, because now I have definitely more responsibility.”

Fellow Australian Aleksandar Vukic starts his campaign against former world No.10 Frances Tiafoe in the third match at Pat Rafter Arena.

The 84th-ranked wildcard, who played three successive five-set matches at last year’s Australian Open, and the 27-year-old American have split two career meetings.

In the second match at Pat Rafter Arena, close friends world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka and former world No.2 Paula Badosa team up in doubles for the first time since 2022 to take on Liudmila Samsonova and Zhang Shuai.

Sabalenka and Badosa most recently combined at the Madrid Open that year where they fell to Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula in the first round.

Don’t miss out on the chance to be part of one of the most exciting tournaments of the year. Tickets for the Brisbane International are on sale via Ticketmaster. Prices start at $30. Premium Experiences are on sale via Ticketmaster and the Premium Experiences Team.