Break Point (2023) s01e01 Episode Script
The Maverick
1
[suspenseful music playing]
[umpire] Thirty-forty.
[audience cheering]
Quiet, please.
[cheering continues]
[male tennis player]
You step on that court,
time stops.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Courtney Nguyen]
You are out there by yourself.
[female tennis player]
Your heart starts beating faster.
And that little voice in your head
doesn't stop.
[male tennis player]
Suddenly I feel the fear coming.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
This is the one we were waiting for.
And the atmosphere is electric.
[suspenseful music playing]
[clapping stops]
[umpire] It's a break point.
[suspenseful music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Oh, that is filthy tennis.
Let's do a Netflix series and shit.
Let's get it, baby.
[upbeat music playing]
[female commentator] Four Grand Slams.
[male commentator]
Hundreds of tournaments.
[female commentator] Competing all over
the world for a place in history.
[Matteo] The last decade, we've been
blessed with an era of greatness.
Roger, Rafa, Serena, Novak.
We can't just wait for them to retire.
We need to find a way to try to win.
[male commentator] Oh, yes.
[cheering]
[female commentator] We may finally
be witnessing a major shift in the game.
[male commentator]
So we wonder who will take their place.
Like, who the hell is this guy? [laughing]
[intense music playing]
[Maria]
I wanna be number one in the world.
[Nick] I wanna know what that
feels like to win a title.
I know what I'm capable of
and I know how much work I've put in.
[Taylor] Nothing in the whole world
can beat that feeling of winning.
You're chasing that all the time.
Don't fuck it up.
[stadium announcer]
The first African woman in the Open era
to reach the Wimbledon final.
[Ajla] There is so much pressure.
There's thousands of people that are
gonna watch you and write about you.
I think the hardest thing in sports
is expectation.
[cheering]
[male tennis player] Everybody chokes.
And what defines greatness is the ability
to manage these big moments.
[male TV announcer]
But is this new generation up to it?
[intense music playing]
[Taylor] Can you play every point
like your life depends on it?
Ow.
The pain is unmatched.
[Nick] There's a lot at stake.
This is fucking bonkers.
[Maria] It's competition. It's war.
Yeah!
[Taylor] It's what you worked
your whole life to do.
[loud cheering]
It's now or never.
[male commentator] Fasten your seat belts,
ladies and gentlemen.
[María] Let's do it.
[suspenseful music playing]
[intense music playing]
[female commentator] Hello and welcome
to the Australian Open 2022.
[male commentator] The tennis season
kicks off here at Melbourne Park,
home of the Australian Open.
Tennis is back.
The first slam of the year
is always fresh with hope.
Grand Slam. Oh my God.
It's a tennis player's dream.
[Courtney] The tennis season takes place
across nearly every continent,
but our four Grand Slams
are the biggest events on the circuit.
[cheering]
They're the most prestigious.
They offer the most prize money.
They are the ones
that everybody tunes into.
It's all about the energy.
The people, the noise, the crowd.
See? I get goosebumps. It's so exciting.
[laughing]
Grand Slams in tennis are different.
They're big, they're historic.
The ultimate goal.
[Maria] Whether it's good,
bad or beautiful
it's all there, it's part of history.
[Andy]
In this game, there's nowhere to hide.
It's physically very taxing.
It's mentally very taxing.
You know, and sometimes
Hell, yeah, it's frustrating.
You cannot be serious!
[male commentator]
Now it's down. Might as well break it.
[upbeat music playing]
[Courtney]
This year there's a shortlist of guys
that are coming up to try and win a slam
and grab hold of the sport.
[cork popping]
Everybody's trying to win a Grand Slam.
Why not me?
- How are you feeling about tomorrow?
- Pretty good.
- I'm really excited to play.
- I'm excited too.
[lively music playing]
[Matteo] It's always pushing to the limit.
I know that I want to lift a big trophy.
[lively music playing]
[Courtney] Everyone's coming into the Open
talking about these contenders.
But there's one hometown guy
who might have the most talent,
but no one is really
expecting anything from him.
[disco music playing]
[woman laughing]
- [music stops]
- [laughter continues]
[suspenseful music playing]
[male interviewer]
Tell me about Nick Kyrgios.
Ah. [chuckles]
I could say a lot about Nick.
He's probably the most talented
tennis player from our generation.
[male commentator] He's one of the only
players to have beaten the big three.
Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic
He's conquered them all.
I think he's the most talented tennis
player I've seen in ten years.
[male commentator] International tennis
has a new bad boy.
[female commentator]
"Bad boy of tennis."
[male commentator] today took his
brattish behavior to a whole new level.
He's not a bad guy, but he becomes
a devil when he enters the court.
[indistinct montage]
[male commentator]
A once-in-a-generation talent,
but after ten years in the game,
will he ever live up to his potential?
Just touching down in Melbourne, yeah?
On our jet. Pilot, give me the thumbs up.
- All good.
- All good, buddy. All good.
Your mum just messaged me saying,
"Morning, Horses."
"Give Nico a big, big hug for me.
Miss him, kiss, kiss, kiss."
- Why wouldn't she message me?
- I don't know. This is what happens.
Thank you.
[Horse] Nick and I just We were almost
inseparable in the early days.
We clicked and haven't looked back.
We've been best friends ever since.
Are you still training today?
I might.
We'll see what the weather's like.
[Horse] The majority of my job
is making sure he feels good.
I think it's pretty important for someone
who doesn't have a trainer or a coach.
I'll pick you up again later
if I'm going to go play tennis.
- Sure.
- Yeah.
[Costeen] We've been together
about two and a half months.
We met online and we've been
hanging out every day since.
He's not as crazy
as everyone thinks he is.
I'm excited.
I want to enjoy watching you play.
I've never really watched
a tennis game in my life.
So, yeah, this is all new for me.
[upbeat music playing]
[Andy] During a slam,
you have to go in prepared
to play every match
in pretty extreme conditions.
- I really need a hug.
- Oh.
Australia in January feels like you're
playing in a hairdryer for six hours.
[Courtney] Australia is such
a sports-mad country.
So that's a lot of pressure
for the Australian players
when they play in Melbourne.
[intense music playing]
[Horse] People want to see him succeed.
I think that really weighs on him more
heavily in Australia than anywhere else.
This is gonna be his first tournament
since 2021 US Open.
He hasn't played tennis for months.
[Andy] He's like a part-time player.
He doesn't play that often.
He takes months off at a time.
It's like a hobby.
[male commentator]
I don't know if it's the pressure
or he's falling out of love with the game,
but if he drops down the rankings,
he won't qualify
for the major tournaments.
One of the big questions is,
"Is he still going to be playing
the sport this time next year?"
[intense music playing]
Welcome back, brother.
[Nick]
It's always nice to be back, you know.
I don't know
if this is going to be the last time.
Nothing good lasts forever, yeah?
[Nick] My tennis career depends
on how I play this year.
People really don't understand
how different I go about my tennis
or my life or my career
compared to every other tennis player.
I've barely played for ten or eleven
weeks of the year,
but I'm hitting the ball as good as ever.
I definitely feel my level is there.
He doesn't want it! He does not want it!
What a point!
- How are you going?
- What do you think?
- Camera's on you right now.
- Really good. Not bad. [chuckles]
I don't know how you're out in the heat.
- Sorry. I'm so sweaty.
- No, it's okay.
How are you feeling?
I feel okay. It's just like
I'm just taking it as it comes
at the moment.
You know, like, I don't know how many
Aus opens, realistically, are coming.
So, like, I'm just soaking it all in.
Take one day at a time.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
It's terrible.
- Yeah.
- Try and actually enjoy it.
Yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
[male commentator] We bring you
all the action from Rod Laver Arena.
All of the color, all of the excitement
of day one of Australian Open 2022.
[loud cheering]
[Courtney] At the start of round one,
there's 128 men.
[suspenseful music playing]
And 128 women.
[upbeat music playing]
All playing knockout rounds
over two weeks.
In tennis, it is "eat what you kill."
- Yes!
- [cheering]
[Courtney] Every round a player wins,
they earn a cash prize.
If you're not winning matches, you're not
making money. That's the bottom line.
[cheering]
The way that
the tennis scoring system works,
matches can turn around on a dime.
[cheering]
Six games wins a set.
It's best of three sets for the women.
[umpire] Game, set, match.
[Courtney] The men play best of five.
[audience gasps]
With the Grand Slam on the line, you have
to be ready to go straight out the blocks.
[interviewer] A commentator on ESPN today
said he heard rumblings
this is your last year on tour.
Is that accurate?
I don't know. Like, I don't know.
I'll probably be planning to play, but I'm
just thinking about tonight and tomorrow.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator] Now it is time for
an Aussie to take to center stage here.
Taking on the qualifier
Liam Broady of the UK.
If you've never seen a tennis score
before, it can be confusing.
It's a five-set match,
but in every set, six games makes a set.
So it's basically first to six.
[male commentator] The danger for Nick
is that he hasn't played lately.
And you're coming in cold
against somebody
who's au fait with the conditions.
Perhaps a potential
banana peel here for Kyrgios.
Surely, it cannot be ideal
for this first round.
It'll be a test.
[intense music playing]
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Liam Broady,
my fucking competitor right here.
It's gonna be a good one.
[stadium announcer] From the United
Kingdom, please welcome Liam Broady!
[cheering]
From Australia,
Nick Kyrgios!
[male commentator] Mr. Box Office himself.
He promised us a good show
and hopefully he can deliver.
[umpire] Thank you. Players are ready.
[male commentator]
I cannot wait for this one to unfold.
[umpire] Play.
[suspenseful music playing]
[grunting]
[audience gasping]
[cheering]
[suspenseful music playing]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
King Kyrgios is in the house.
[Andy] It's insane
what he's able to do on the court.
I wish I would've had his talent.
[intense music playing]
[cheering]
[Nick] My serve is my biggest weapon.
His serve is so good. It is so good.
[cheering]
Let's go, come on.
[Horse] He can dictate the point
by hitting a serve
where he needs to hit it.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game, first set, Kyrgios.
[intense music playing]
[Horse] Nick is different.
He keeps you entertained,
on the edge of your seat.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator laughing]
Oh, that is filthy tennis.
What is going on?
[Horse] You're gonna see him do
the most ridiculous trick shots.
If you want an experience, you watch Nick.
[male commentator]
Already sending the locals into a frenzy.
[umpire] Kyrgios leads two sets to love.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Horse] He hits a shot
and starts throwing up his hands.
[cheering]
People are like, "Yeah."
The crowd's involved.
The chair umpire is involved.
It's cool. You just don't see that
from any other player.
[male commentator]
The people follow Kyrgios.
They're incredibly loud
and create an atmosphere.
[cheering]
And he plays it to perfection.
[loud cheering]
[umpire]
Kyrgios leads five games to three.
[grunting]
[Liam] Pretty crazy out there.
[cheering]
It's a very difficult atmosphere
to try and handle.
He orchestrates the crowd. He's incredible
at getting them behind him.
And he plays better for it.
[male commentator] Match point here.
[grunting]
[umpire] Game, set, match Kyrgios,
6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
[male commentator]
Kyrgios is through in straights.
What a way to shut the gates.
And he sets up
a mouth-watering second round
with Daniil Medvédev.
I don't know what the fuck is going on
with that crowd. They are insane, yeah?
They're like a zoo in there.
[upbeat music playing]
[male commentator] Now he's got
the number two player in the world.
Daniil Medvédev is one
of the most disciplined guys
that we've seen in the game
for a very long time.
I've got to give a big advantage
to Medvédev in this match
given the amount of tennis
Nick has played.
[Daniil]
I'm interested to see what is his level.
It's not easy
when you don't play a lot of tennis.
He's going to try to pump himself up.
I'll do my preparation.
It's not going to be easy for him.
[upbeat music playing]
- I feel good right now.
- Your hips are tight.
As far as your hip range goes,
it's pretty good.
[sighs]
You alright?
In reality, I should be getting this every
day, but I'm just a different cat.
You've never done anything standard.
You have to balance the mental
and the physical.
Because if you did that grind every day,
you'd be so unhappy.
[slow music playing]
[Nick] I think everyone knows I'm capable
of beating anyone on any given day,
but kind of depends on how I'm feeling.
That's why I have to do it my way.
[upbeat music playing]
[male commentator]
Stunning conditions for tennis fans
as we kick off second-round action
at the Australian Open.
With half the draw eliminated,
only 64 men and 64 women remain.
[suspenseful music playing]
Each stage is a battle for survival.
[suspenseful music playing]
[female commentator]
Whether you love him or hate him,
he's always entertaining, Nick Kyrgios.
[male commentator] It's a second-round
matchup that we were all hoping for.
[audience cheering]
[male commentator] Medvédev is ruthless.
He's patient. He's a winning machine.
Kyrgios is engaging. Volatile.
A slayer of seeds.
[cheering]
[umpire] Nick Kyrgios to serve.
Ready. Play.
[intense music playing]
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [umpire] Game, Kyrgios.
[male commentator] First game goes
to Kyrgios. He's off to a good start.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
Medvédev's really come out firing.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
He's under the pump here.
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [male commentator] Oh, yes!
[loud cheering]
Straight nitro from Kyrgios.
This is what they came to see.
This battle is well and truly joint now
at four a piece.
[man yelling]
[umpire] Out.
Can you please stop screaming
while I'm fucking serving?
[umpire] Obscenity by Mr. Kyrgios.
Will you tell them to quiet down
before my serve? Cool.
[male commentator]
Apologies for the colorful language.
[Nick] I lose my shit 'cause of little
things happening out there.
[Costeen] Come on. Take your time.
[Nick] I've got such a short fuse.
It's almost like a habit.
[Horse] Watching him play tennis,
you get this anxious feeling.
So much pressure and so many emotions.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game and first set, Medvédev.
By seven games to six.
[Andy] The reality of tennis
at the highest level.
You have to go there and take it.
Let's go, come on.
[Andy] You have to be mentally there
the entire time.
You cannot be inconsistent.
You cannot have an off day.
[suspenseful music playing]
[audience gasping]
[umpire] Game, Medvédev.
[audience gasping]
[grunting]
[suspenseful music playing]
[male commentator]
It's just another body blow to Kyrgios.
[suspenseful music playing]
Medvédev proving to be
Kyrgios's kryptonite.
Listen. I don't want to talk to you.
Listen to me. Yeah?
Don't scream.
[Horse] There'll be one point
where he thinks he should have won.
And then just goes bang.
- I couldn't care less.
- Okay.
Ask anyone else.
Nobody cares about what you say.
[umpire] Me too.
In the heat of the battle,
I'm two different people.
Sometimes I do cross the line.
That's just my passion.
That's just my emotion.
Millions of people watching you.
You're not playing your best.
Would you not be frustrated and angry?
[suspenseful music playing]
[grunting]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
He should have put that away.
[suspenseful music playing]
[music stops]
[Nick] I have to let it out out there.
[male commentator] Match point here.
One thing is for sure.
If things don't go his way here,
he has gone out with a bang.
Daniil Medvédev takes care
of Nick Kyrgios.
[umpire]
Three sets to one. 7-6, 6-4, 4-6
[male commentator] Simply too good.
A mental giant
who takes Kyrgios down in four sets.
Not sure how much more
Nick is going to be sticking around.
What do you make
of what you've seen tonight?
[male commentator 2] Look, I don't know.
I don't know if anyone knows.
He still plays as well as ever,
doesn't he?
[male commentator]
And is this a last goodbye?
[cheering]
It may very well be.
He has been one hell of an entertainer.
But has he maximized that talent?
That will always be the question
that hangs over Kyrgios.
[loud cheering]
Melbourne Park says farewell.
[sad music playing
- [Horse] You should be fucking proud.
- [Costeen] Yeah, you were amazing.
[Horse] You played very solidly.
[Nick's mother]
I worry about him every day.
Every day.
Because he's gone through
some really unhappy times.
I'm a real chatterbox.
Chee!
[laughing]
He was a beautiful baby.
He had all these curls.
I thought he looked like a little girl.
He was a chubby little boy.
Around seven is when
he had his first lesson.
[Nick] I didn't know how good I was.
[trainer] That's the shot.
[Nick] When I was about 17,
I just had a growth spurt.
All of a sudden
I started sliding and moving.
I was like, I've been blessed.
And then things got quite serious.
[cheering]
I was 19. I had my break out at Wimbledon
and then that was it.
My life changed.
[loud cheering]
[reporter] The 19-year-old beat
the almost unbeatable Rafael Nadal.
It's one of those sporting stories
that becomes an instant legend.
The Australian teenager who takes on
the world number one and wins.
[Nick]
It went from no one knowing who I was
to people camping outside my house.
That match changed everything. Everything.
From that day forth, the expectation for
me to be the next big thing was massive.
[Horse] How do you tell a 19-year-old
to deal with so much pressure
after beating the world number one?
[Nick's mother] He just became aggressive.
He was just so angry,
always angry at something.
What does that mean?
- What's unsportsmanlike about it?
- Stop.
- What is unsportsmanlike?
- Please stop.
[audience gasping]
[Horse] After that, he was painted
as a bad boy, and then he was the villain.
Every article, every tabloid, every person
just wanted to have their two cents
and tell him what a shit bloke he was.
We even had one of our sporting legends
tell him to go back to where he came from.
Who does that? You know?
[Nick] Racism. It was another
unnecessary thing to deal with.
It hurt.
The first four or five years of my career,
it was so chaotic.
When Horse was on tour with me,
he was just basically looking after me.
He could just see my mental well-being
declining every week.
My life was kind of spiraling out
of control, drinking every single night.
[Horse]
I used to have your location on my phone.
Some mornings I'd have to physically go
and find where you were,
what hotel you were at,
whose house you were staying at
before tournaments, before a match.
- It was tough.
- I was like, "I can't keep doing this."
I just had to be kinder to myself.
For my mental health,
I could never be a player that played
all year round. I couldn't do that.
I value my family, my close friends,
and Cossie too much
to put tennis in front of that anymore.
I don't think that's healthy.
I don't have any expectations
now in my matches.
I want to go out there,
have fun, and take the pressure off.
Then we can kind of live
more of a normal life.
It's much better like this,
that's for sure.
[upbeat music playing]
[female commentator] Wherever he goes,
drama does seem to follow.
Kyrgios and fellow Aussie,
Thanasi Kokkinakis,
have teamed up in the doubles.
[Nick] To come up short against Medvédev
was heartbreaking,
but I'm gonna play doubles
with one of my best friends
and just have a bit of fun.
[male commentator]
It's not just about the singles.
There's a Grand Slam up for grabs
in the doubles.
[upbeat music playing]
[umpire] Game, set, match
[male commentator] Matches are best
of three sets, not five.
But being a Grand Slam,
the stakes are massive.
[cheering]
We are guaranteed to be entertained
this afternoon at Melbourne Park
when these two hit the court.
I speak of Nick Kyrgios and also Thanasi
Kokkinakis. They're the best of mates.
They're putting on a show
here at the practice courts.
[upbeat music playing]
- [director] One more, sorry.
- Premature. We're used to it.
That guy has got so many fucking kids
running around, for sure.
[Nick] Give it some. You're the guy
with the biggest forehand on tour.
[Thanasi] We were nine when I met Nick.
He was this big dude,
wearing all NBA gear pretty much.
Oh, what was that?
He was bigger than everyone
he was playing against.
He was loud.
He was like what he is now, to be honest.
What is that, bro? What is that?
We get along really well
and we're both very competitive.
[Thanasi] Oh, my goodness.
We're not just together
because we're good at tennis
and we play well on court together.
We spend shitloads of times off the court
just talking rubbish with each other.
Having each other's friendship
and company is everything.
When you have a close bond with someone,
you know what makes them tick.
[Nick] When I'm around Thanasi,
I definitely feel comfortable and at home.
That's why we want to play doubles
'cause we can kind of just have fun.
It's a laugh and stress-free environment,
which is hard to find, to be honest.
[female commentator]
Welcome to day five of the Australian Open
at the brand new Kia Arena.
[crowd cheering]
[male commentator]
After their first-round win,
it would be a huge scalp if they beat
the world's best number-one combination.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome, from Croatia,
Nikola Mectić and Mate Pavić!
[male commentator] These two guys,
Wimbledon and Olympic champions,
have won everything on offer.
[upbeat music playing]
[stadium announcer] And, from Australia,
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios.
[male commentator]
Two quality singles players
up against a well-rehearsed doubles team.
[cheering]
[Horse] In Australia, people are snacking
beers, and cheering, with faces painted,
flying flags.
I feel like that's what sport is.
I think tennis misses that a little.
[male commentator] It's a real
festival atmosphere at Kia Arena.
[upbeat music playing]
[grunting]
[cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Thanasi]
We're not professional doubles guys.
We're single guys who play doubles.
It's different.
A lot of doubles players work on angles
and "If you serve here,
they're going to hit it this way."
It's very technical and that's something
me and Nick are so far off thinking about,
and I think that's what makes it fun.
[male commentator]
A cracking pace in the first game.
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[cheering]
[cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
A couple of young boys having fun.
That's what it's all about.
After bowing out
to the world number two in singles,
he and Thanasi Kokkinakis
are on the verge of knocking out
the world number one doubles combination.
[cheering]
They've done it. What a performance from
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios, childhood mates.
They beat the best, all right.
[upbeat music playing]
What did I say?
What did I say? I told you.
Don't fuck with us at Kia Arena, yeah?
We move diff!
Different.
[female commentator] The headlines here,
they're revolutionizing the sport.
[Courtney]
Every match they have brought the energy
and the crowd has supported them.
[male commentator] He hits great shots.
He hits shots that nobody else hits.
He's got that talent.
That's why we go crazy.
Put this energy into singles as well.
Love him or loathe him, you can't take
your eyes off him when he plays tennis.
[male commentator]
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis
have taken another step
towards glory in the doubles.
[male commentator]
Let the wild ride continue.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis
through to the quarters.
He does well on the team format,
and whether
it's because of the camaraderie
or because the pressure is cut in half.
The Special K's have taken
Australian Open crowds on the wildest ride
in the tournament's history.
[male commentator]
And the greatest show goes on!
[female fan]
We're here to see Kyrgios play.
[cheering]
Go, Nick!
Young people are talking about tennis.
I say, "Go Special K's."
Special K's.
[male commentator] They're called
the Special K's. It makes sense.
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis
have become
the "cereal killers"
of the Australian Open doubles draw.
Hey, I'm Nick, nice to meet you.
- I'm Costeen.
- You're beautiful.
- Are you a famous tennis player?
- We play this game all the time.
You're handsome.
- Am I?
- Yeah.
I appreciate that.
[suspenseful music playing]
- I've never
- Man's getting older.
I am.
[Nick] This is our best run
in a Grand Slam ever.
I'll do everything I can tonight.
Get a good rest. Recover. Train.
- Listen to me, bro.
- I'm impressed.
I think we've got a good shot at winning.
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Some of the loudest
applause we have ever heard here.
[grunting]
[suspenseful music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Good start for the Aussies.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
That's what they came to see.
[cheering]
[umpire] Let. First service.
I'm serving and it's far above the net.
How is it a let?
[male commentator]
The sensors say the ball hit the net.
If the ball does touch it, it's called
a let, and you retake the serve.
[umpire] Let. First service.
I didn't touch the net.
[umpire] Let.
[male commentator]
He's just been frayed a little bit.
- [umpire] Fault!
- Stop speaking before the point.
[male commentator] Getting irritated
with people in the crowd.
[audience gasping]
[shouting]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator] Broken racket
is an automatic code violation.
Nick's got to be careful right now.
[Thanasi] I was like, "Fuck,
I don't need him to implode here."
[Nick] before the serve.
How many times does that happen?
It doesn't make sense.
For fuck's sake.
If there's ever a time when I need
the man to stay calm, it's right here.
This could be a long way home.
[male commentator] Man, he is on the edge.
It's like the full moon came out
and the werewolf showed up.
[Nick] When I start losing my head
a little bit, he's trying to calm me down.
We know how each other's feeling.
What we're thinking. It's everything.
[Nick] We both lean on each other
at certain times
and we just try and keep our energy up.
[cheering]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Huge pressure moment.
[male commentator]
Kokkinakis comes up with the goods.
[intense music playing]
[music stops]
[loud cheering]
[intense music playing]
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios
join Ebden and Purcell
at the men's doubles final.
Unreal scenes.
I'm not finished. I want to win
this fucking thing, to be honest.
[loud cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Costeen laughing]
[Costeen] They're just doing a urine test.
He's like 30
- Thirty mils.
- under.
He has to keep drinking water.
[phone ringing]
You need to skull the water.
I've tried, baby. I've skulled two waters,
one Pepsi and one juice, I'm trying.
Well, just do your best.
Ew. Don't show me the pee.
I'm doing my best.
I'll be there as soon as I can.
Yeah, he needs to drink
more water because
it wasn't looking too good.
- Salad?
- [woman] Yes, thank you.
[mixed voices]
Are you going to do a Greek dance?
Absolutely not.
- Are you?
- No.
[Nick] If you told me three years ago
that I'd be here,
I wouldn't believe it.
Tennis is an extremely lonely sport.
I think that's what
I struggle with the most.
I need to be with my family.
I need to have my close circle around me.
[male commentator]
Crashing into Saturday's final.
As juniors, they won Wimbledon,
as men, they've made destroying
the world's best combinations
look like child's play.
[female commentator] There's probably
going to be the largest ever audience
for a men's doubles final
here in Australia
- [Nick] The way we trained like dogs.
- [Thanasi] We were running off
I don't know how we trained. Now, if
I'm tired, I can't put in a good session.
You feel the last few years.
Back then, we were not getting more
We were averaging three hours of sleep.
I was doing four or five hours a day.
You know what it was? It was because we
were so looking forward to the nights out.
- Yeah.
- That's what was fueling us.
Definitely reined it back a notch
since then.
[Nick] Definitely.
However, I do want to bring it back
for a small period.
[Thanasi] We've got memories
that go back a long time.
Definitely seen each other
at our best and worst.
[slow music playing]
[Nick] We've come a long way.
If I showed you a picture of what my
courts were like around my house
And now we're playing a Grand Slam final.
[Nick's mother] I'm very proud of my son.
- Thank you.
- I just want him to always be happy.
Ready?
[male commentator]
This is the men's doubles final.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome, from Australia,
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios.
- [male commentator] K-squared.
- [cheering]
They have electrified the locals.
They teamed up to have some fun initially,
but think of the journey
they made to get here.
They certainly showed that they can play.
[Horse] If he'd won a slam,
everything would go away.
I'd be lying if I said
I didn't want him to win a slam.
[male commentator] It's going to be
fascinating to see how it shakes out.
[Thanasi]
We've done well to get to the final.
We should be proud of ourselves.
[umpire] Ready. Play.
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [male commentator] Game face on.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasps]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
They've got to work for this tonight.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Good stuff from Ebden and Purcell.
They're dangerous. We know that.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator] They have to find a way
to make these guys miss.
Oof. I don't know if he's feeling
a little bit of tension.
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
That's a Kyrgios special.
[loud cheering]
Kyrgios reminding everyone
that he's the guy.
Unbelievable.
[audience gasping]
[male commentator] That's a great shot.
To make that shot takes some talent.
[intense music playing]
[umpire] Game and first set.
[male commentator] Set number one
goes to Kyrgios and Kokkinakis.
Set number two. Here we go.
[intense music playing]
[loud cheering]
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
[male commentator]
There have been so many journeys together.
[intense music playing]
What a crescendo it has come to.
Down, but not out.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
[cheering]
Three championship points.
[Nick] This is it.
[male commentator] With this serve,
serving for your first Grand Slam title.
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] What a performance.
From childhood friends
to Grand Slam winners.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios
are the Australian Open
men's doubles champions!
[upbeat music playing]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Two best mates
have just come through
and won the Australian Open doubles.
They've beaten some of
the very best teams in the world.
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[cheering continues]
[Nick] I didn't expect in this time
in my career to win a Grand Slam.
When people say, "Nick Kyrgios
didn't achieve this or achieve that"
Everything that I've gone through
led to a Grand Slam.
It's there. It's never leaving now.
[loud cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Nick]
I feel proud of everything I've overcome.
That whole journey to get here.
I'm here to show you that
I'm one of the best players in the world.
[cheering]
[Matteo] I remember my first big slam.
I was like, "This is it.
Like, this is happiness."
[male commentator]
Oh, that is a little bit of Matteo magic!
[Matteo] If it wasn't for Novak,
maybe I would've had a slam already.
[protester] Free Novak!
In breaking news, the world
number one's visa has been canceled.
[Matteo] Now it's my time.
- [speaking Italian]
- [laughter]
[cheering]
[Matteo] Wanna watch a movie
instead of tennis?
When I was seven, I already
had this dream of winning a slam.
[Chris Evert] The thing missing from her,
I said, "You're too nice."
You got to be bitchy out there sometimes.
Excellent. Excellent!
The thing is, tennis really
pushes you to the limit.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome Rafael Nadal!
[Matteo] This sport, man.
Crazy.
[suspenseful music playing]
[umpire] Thirty-forty.
[audience cheering]
Quiet, please.
[cheering continues]
[male tennis player]
You step on that court,
time stops.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Courtney Nguyen]
You are out there by yourself.
[female tennis player]
Your heart starts beating faster.
And that little voice in your head
doesn't stop.
[male tennis player]
Suddenly I feel the fear coming.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
This is the one we were waiting for.
And the atmosphere is electric.
[suspenseful music playing]
[clapping stops]
[umpire] It's a break point.
[suspenseful music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Oh, that is filthy tennis.
Let's do a Netflix series and shit.
Let's get it, baby.
[upbeat music playing]
[female commentator] Four Grand Slams.
[male commentator]
Hundreds of tournaments.
[female commentator] Competing all over
the world for a place in history.
[Matteo] The last decade, we've been
blessed with an era of greatness.
Roger, Rafa, Serena, Novak.
We can't just wait for them to retire.
We need to find a way to try to win.
[male commentator] Oh, yes.
[cheering]
[female commentator] We may finally
be witnessing a major shift in the game.
[male commentator]
So we wonder who will take their place.
Like, who the hell is this guy? [laughing]
[intense music playing]
[Maria]
I wanna be number one in the world.
[Nick] I wanna know what that
feels like to win a title.
I know what I'm capable of
and I know how much work I've put in.
[Taylor] Nothing in the whole world
can beat that feeling of winning.
You're chasing that all the time.
Don't fuck it up.
[stadium announcer]
The first African woman in the Open era
to reach the Wimbledon final.
[Ajla] There is so much pressure.
There's thousands of people that are
gonna watch you and write about you.
I think the hardest thing in sports
is expectation.
[cheering]
[male tennis player] Everybody chokes.
And what defines greatness is the ability
to manage these big moments.
[male TV announcer]
But is this new generation up to it?
[intense music playing]
[Taylor] Can you play every point
like your life depends on it?
Ow.
The pain is unmatched.
[Nick] There's a lot at stake.
This is fucking bonkers.
[Maria] It's competition. It's war.
Yeah!
[Taylor] It's what you worked
your whole life to do.
[loud cheering]
It's now or never.
[male commentator] Fasten your seat belts,
ladies and gentlemen.
[María] Let's do it.
[suspenseful music playing]
[intense music playing]
[female commentator] Hello and welcome
to the Australian Open 2022.
[male commentator] The tennis season
kicks off here at Melbourne Park,
home of the Australian Open.
Tennis is back.
The first slam of the year
is always fresh with hope.
Grand Slam. Oh my God.
It's a tennis player's dream.
[Courtney] The tennis season takes place
across nearly every continent,
but our four Grand Slams
are the biggest events on the circuit.
[cheering]
They're the most prestigious.
They offer the most prize money.
They are the ones
that everybody tunes into.
It's all about the energy.
The people, the noise, the crowd.
See? I get goosebumps. It's so exciting.
[laughing]
Grand Slams in tennis are different.
They're big, they're historic.
The ultimate goal.
[Maria] Whether it's good,
bad or beautiful
it's all there, it's part of history.
[Andy]
In this game, there's nowhere to hide.
It's physically very taxing.
It's mentally very taxing.
You know, and sometimes
Hell, yeah, it's frustrating.
You cannot be serious!
[male commentator]
Now it's down. Might as well break it.
[upbeat music playing]
[Courtney]
This year there's a shortlist of guys
that are coming up to try and win a slam
and grab hold of the sport.
[cork popping]
Everybody's trying to win a Grand Slam.
Why not me?
- How are you feeling about tomorrow?
- Pretty good.
- I'm really excited to play.
- I'm excited too.
[lively music playing]
[Matteo] It's always pushing to the limit.
I know that I want to lift a big trophy.
[lively music playing]
[Courtney] Everyone's coming into the Open
talking about these contenders.
But there's one hometown guy
who might have the most talent,
but no one is really
expecting anything from him.
[disco music playing]
[woman laughing]
- [music stops]
- [laughter continues]
[suspenseful music playing]
[male interviewer]
Tell me about Nick Kyrgios.
Ah. [chuckles]
I could say a lot about Nick.
He's probably the most talented
tennis player from our generation.
[male commentator] He's one of the only
players to have beaten the big three.
Nadal, Federer, and Djokovic
He's conquered them all.
I think he's the most talented tennis
player I've seen in ten years.
[male commentator] International tennis
has a new bad boy.
[female commentator]
"Bad boy of tennis."
[male commentator] today took his
brattish behavior to a whole new level.
He's not a bad guy, but he becomes
a devil when he enters the court.
[indistinct montage]
[male commentator]
A once-in-a-generation talent,
but after ten years in the game,
will he ever live up to his potential?
Just touching down in Melbourne, yeah?
On our jet. Pilot, give me the thumbs up.
- All good.
- All good, buddy. All good.
Your mum just messaged me saying,
"Morning, Horses."
"Give Nico a big, big hug for me.
Miss him, kiss, kiss, kiss."
- Why wouldn't she message me?
- I don't know. This is what happens.
Thank you.
[Horse] Nick and I just We were almost
inseparable in the early days.
We clicked and haven't looked back.
We've been best friends ever since.
Are you still training today?
I might.
We'll see what the weather's like.
[Horse] The majority of my job
is making sure he feels good.
I think it's pretty important for someone
who doesn't have a trainer or a coach.
I'll pick you up again later
if I'm going to go play tennis.
- Sure.
- Yeah.
[Costeen] We've been together
about two and a half months.
We met online and we've been
hanging out every day since.
He's not as crazy
as everyone thinks he is.
I'm excited.
I want to enjoy watching you play.
I've never really watched
a tennis game in my life.
So, yeah, this is all new for me.
[upbeat music playing]
[Andy] During a slam,
you have to go in prepared
to play every match
in pretty extreme conditions.
- I really need a hug.
- Oh.
Australia in January feels like you're
playing in a hairdryer for six hours.
[Courtney] Australia is such
a sports-mad country.
So that's a lot of pressure
for the Australian players
when they play in Melbourne.
[intense music playing]
[Horse] People want to see him succeed.
I think that really weighs on him more
heavily in Australia than anywhere else.
This is gonna be his first tournament
since 2021 US Open.
He hasn't played tennis for months.
[Andy] He's like a part-time player.
He doesn't play that often.
He takes months off at a time.
It's like a hobby.
[male commentator]
I don't know if it's the pressure
or he's falling out of love with the game,
but if he drops down the rankings,
he won't qualify
for the major tournaments.
One of the big questions is,
"Is he still going to be playing
the sport this time next year?"
[intense music playing]
Welcome back, brother.
[Nick]
It's always nice to be back, you know.
I don't know
if this is going to be the last time.
Nothing good lasts forever, yeah?
[Nick] My tennis career depends
on how I play this year.
People really don't understand
how different I go about my tennis
or my life or my career
compared to every other tennis player.
I've barely played for ten or eleven
weeks of the year,
but I'm hitting the ball as good as ever.
I definitely feel my level is there.
He doesn't want it! He does not want it!
What a point!
- How are you going?
- What do you think?
- Camera's on you right now.
- Really good. Not bad. [chuckles]
I don't know how you're out in the heat.
- Sorry. I'm so sweaty.
- No, it's okay.
How are you feeling?
I feel okay. It's just like
I'm just taking it as it comes
at the moment.
You know, like, I don't know how many
Aus opens, realistically, are coming.
So, like, I'm just soaking it all in.
Take one day at a time.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself.
It's terrible.
- Yeah.
- Try and actually enjoy it.
Yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
[male commentator] We bring you
all the action from Rod Laver Arena.
All of the color, all of the excitement
of day one of Australian Open 2022.
[loud cheering]
[Courtney] At the start of round one,
there's 128 men.
[suspenseful music playing]
And 128 women.
[upbeat music playing]
All playing knockout rounds
over two weeks.
In tennis, it is "eat what you kill."
- Yes!
- [cheering]
[Courtney] Every round a player wins,
they earn a cash prize.
If you're not winning matches, you're not
making money. That's the bottom line.
[cheering]
The way that
the tennis scoring system works,
matches can turn around on a dime.
[cheering]
Six games wins a set.
It's best of three sets for the women.
[umpire] Game, set, match.
[Courtney] The men play best of five.
[audience gasps]
With the Grand Slam on the line, you have
to be ready to go straight out the blocks.
[interviewer] A commentator on ESPN today
said he heard rumblings
this is your last year on tour.
Is that accurate?
I don't know. Like, I don't know.
I'll probably be planning to play, but I'm
just thinking about tonight and tomorrow.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator] Now it is time for
an Aussie to take to center stage here.
Taking on the qualifier
Liam Broady of the UK.
If you've never seen a tennis score
before, it can be confusing.
It's a five-set match,
but in every set, six games makes a set.
So it's basically first to six.
[male commentator] The danger for Nick
is that he hasn't played lately.
And you're coming in cold
against somebody
who's au fait with the conditions.
Perhaps a potential
banana peel here for Kyrgios.
Surely, it cannot be ideal
for this first round.
It'll be a test.
[intense music playing]
- Good luck.
- Thanks.
Liam Broady,
my fucking competitor right here.
It's gonna be a good one.
[stadium announcer] From the United
Kingdom, please welcome Liam Broady!
[cheering]
From Australia,
Nick Kyrgios!
[male commentator] Mr. Box Office himself.
He promised us a good show
and hopefully he can deliver.
[umpire] Thank you. Players are ready.
[male commentator]
I cannot wait for this one to unfold.
[umpire] Play.
[suspenseful music playing]
[grunting]
[audience gasping]
[cheering]
[suspenseful music playing]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
King Kyrgios is in the house.
[Andy] It's insane
what he's able to do on the court.
I wish I would've had his talent.
[intense music playing]
[cheering]
[Nick] My serve is my biggest weapon.
His serve is so good. It is so good.
[cheering]
Let's go, come on.
[Horse] He can dictate the point
by hitting a serve
where he needs to hit it.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game, first set, Kyrgios.
[intense music playing]
[Horse] Nick is different.
He keeps you entertained,
on the edge of your seat.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator laughing]
Oh, that is filthy tennis.
What is going on?
[Horse] You're gonna see him do
the most ridiculous trick shots.
If you want an experience, you watch Nick.
[male commentator]
Already sending the locals into a frenzy.
[umpire] Kyrgios leads two sets to love.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Horse] He hits a shot
and starts throwing up his hands.
[cheering]
People are like, "Yeah."
The crowd's involved.
The chair umpire is involved.
It's cool. You just don't see that
from any other player.
[male commentator]
The people follow Kyrgios.
They're incredibly loud
and create an atmosphere.
[cheering]
And he plays it to perfection.
[loud cheering]
[umpire]
Kyrgios leads five games to three.
[grunting]
[Liam] Pretty crazy out there.
[cheering]
It's a very difficult atmosphere
to try and handle.
He orchestrates the crowd. He's incredible
at getting them behind him.
And he plays better for it.
[male commentator] Match point here.
[grunting]
[umpire] Game, set, match Kyrgios,
6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
[male commentator]
Kyrgios is through in straights.
What a way to shut the gates.
And he sets up
a mouth-watering second round
with Daniil Medvédev.
I don't know what the fuck is going on
with that crowd. They are insane, yeah?
They're like a zoo in there.
[upbeat music playing]
[male commentator] Now he's got
the number two player in the world.
Daniil Medvédev is one
of the most disciplined guys
that we've seen in the game
for a very long time.
I've got to give a big advantage
to Medvédev in this match
given the amount of tennis
Nick has played.
[Daniil]
I'm interested to see what is his level.
It's not easy
when you don't play a lot of tennis.
He's going to try to pump himself up.
I'll do my preparation.
It's not going to be easy for him.
[upbeat music playing]
- I feel good right now.
- Your hips are tight.
As far as your hip range goes,
it's pretty good.
[sighs]
You alright?
In reality, I should be getting this every
day, but I'm just a different cat.
You've never done anything standard.
You have to balance the mental
and the physical.
Because if you did that grind every day,
you'd be so unhappy.
[slow music playing]
[Nick] I think everyone knows I'm capable
of beating anyone on any given day,
but kind of depends on how I'm feeling.
That's why I have to do it my way.
[upbeat music playing]
[male commentator]
Stunning conditions for tennis fans
as we kick off second-round action
at the Australian Open.
With half the draw eliminated,
only 64 men and 64 women remain.
[suspenseful music playing]
Each stage is a battle for survival.
[suspenseful music playing]
[female commentator]
Whether you love him or hate him,
he's always entertaining, Nick Kyrgios.
[male commentator] It's a second-round
matchup that we were all hoping for.
[audience cheering]
[male commentator] Medvédev is ruthless.
He's patient. He's a winning machine.
Kyrgios is engaging. Volatile.
A slayer of seeds.
[cheering]
[umpire] Nick Kyrgios to serve.
Ready. Play.
[intense music playing]
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [umpire] Game, Kyrgios.
[male commentator] First game goes
to Kyrgios. He's off to a good start.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
Medvédev's really come out firing.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
He's under the pump here.
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [male commentator] Oh, yes!
[loud cheering]
Straight nitro from Kyrgios.
This is what they came to see.
This battle is well and truly joint now
at four a piece.
[man yelling]
[umpire] Out.
Can you please stop screaming
while I'm fucking serving?
[umpire] Obscenity by Mr. Kyrgios.
Will you tell them to quiet down
before my serve? Cool.
[male commentator]
Apologies for the colorful language.
[Nick] I lose my shit 'cause of little
things happening out there.
[Costeen] Come on. Take your time.
[Nick] I've got such a short fuse.
It's almost like a habit.
[Horse] Watching him play tennis,
you get this anxious feeling.
So much pressure and so many emotions.
[cheering]
[umpire] Game and first set, Medvédev.
By seven games to six.
[Andy] The reality of tennis
at the highest level.
You have to go there and take it.
Let's go, come on.
[Andy] You have to be mentally there
the entire time.
You cannot be inconsistent.
You cannot have an off day.
[suspenseful music playing]
[audience gasping]
[umpire] Game, Medvédev.
[audience gasping]
[grunting]
[suspenseful music playing]
[male commentator]
It's just another body blow to Kyrgios.
[suspenseful music playing]
Medvédev proving to be
Kyrgios's kryptonite.
Listen. I don't want to talk to you.
Listen to me. Yeah?
Don't scream.
[Horse] There'll be one point
where he thinks he should have won.
And then just goes bang.
- I couldn't care less.
- Okay.
Ask anyone else.
Nobody cares about what you say.
[umpire] Me too.
In the heat of the battle,
I'm two different people.
Sometimes I do cross the line.
That's just my passion.
That's just my emotion.
Millions of people watching you.
You're not playing your best.
Would you not be frustrated and angry?
[suspenseful music playing]
[grunting]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
He should have put that away.
[suspenseful music playing]
[music stops]
[Nick] I have to let it out out there.
[male commentator] Match point here.
One thing is for sure.
If things don't go his way here,
he has gone out with a bang.
Daniil Medvédev takes care
of Nick Kyrgios.
[umpire]
Three sets to one. 7-6, 6-4, 4-6
[male commentator] Simply too good.
A mental giant
who takes Kyrgios down in four sets.
Not sure how much more
Nick is going to be sticking around.
What do you make
of what you've seen tonight?
[male commentator 2] Look, I don't know.
I don't know if anyone knows.
He still plays as well as ever,
doesn't he?
[male commentator]
And is this a last goodbye?
[cheering]
It may very well be.
He has been one hell of an entertainer.
But has he maximized that talent?
That will always be the question
that hangs over Kyrgios.
[loud cheering]
Melbourne Park says farewell.
[sad music playing
- [Horse] You should be fucking proud.
- [Costeen] Yeah, you were amazing.
[Horse] You played very solidly.
[Nick's mother]
I worry about him every day.
Every day.
Because he's gone through
some really unhappy times.
I'm a real chatterbox.
Chee!
[laughing]
He was a beautiful baby.
He had all these curls.
I thought he looked like a little girl.
He was a chubby little boy.
Around seven is when
he had his first lesson.
[Nick] I didn't know how good I was.
[trainer] That's the shot.
[Nick] When I was about 17,
I just had a growth spurt.
All of a sudden
I started sliding and moving.
I was like, I've been blessed.
And then things got quite serious.
[cheering]
I was 19. I had my break out at Wimbledon
and then that was it.
My life changed.
[loud cheering]
[reporter] The 19-year-old beat
the almost unbeatable Rafael Nadal.
It's one of those sporting stories
that becomes an instant legend.
The Australian teenager who takes on
the world number one and wins.
[Nick]
It went from no one knowing who I was
to people camping outside my house.
That match changed everything. Everything.
From that day forth, the expectation for
me to be the next big thing was massive.
[Horse] How do you tell a 19-year-old
to deal with so much pressure
after beating the world number one?
[Nick's mother] He just became aggressive.
He was just so angry,
always angry at something.
What does that mean?
- What's unsportsmanlike about it?
- Stop.
- What is unsportsmanlike?
- Please stop.
[audience gasping]
[Horse] After that, he was painted
as a bad boy, and then he was the villain.
Every article, every tabloid, every person
just wanted to have their two cents
and tell him what a shit bloke he was.
We even had one of our sporting legends
tell him to go back to where he came from.
Who does that? You know?
[Nick] Racism. It was another
unnecessary thing to deal with.
It hurt.
The first four or five years of my career,
it was so chaotic.
When Horse was on tour with me,
he was just basically looking after me.
He could just see my mental well-being
declining every week.
My life was kind of spiraling out
of control, drinking every single night.
[Horse]
I used to have your location on my phone.
Some mornings I'd have to physically go
and find where you were,
what hotel you were at,
whose house you were staying at
before tournaments, before a match.
- It was tough.
- I was like, "I can't keep doing this."
I just had to be kinder to myself.
For my mental health,
I could never be a player that played
all year round. I couldn't do that.
I value my family, my close friends,
and Cossie too much
to put tennis in front of that anymore.
I don't think that's healthy.
I don't have any expectations
now in my matches.
I want to go out there,
have fun, and take the pressure off.
Then we can kind of live
more of a normal life.
It's much better like this,
that's for sure.
[upbeat music playing]
[female commentator] Wherever he goes,
drama does seem to follow.
Kyrgios and fellow Aussie,
Thanasi Kokkinakis,
have teamed up in the doubles.
[Nick] To come up short against Medvédev
was heartbreaking,
but I'm gonna play doubles
with one of my best friends
and just have a bit of fun.
[male commentator]
It's not just about the singles.
There's a Grand Slam up for grabs
in the doubles.
[upbeat music playing]
[umpire] Game, set, match
[male commentator] Matches are best
of three sets, not five.
But being a Grand Slam,
the stakes are massive.
[cheering]
We are guaranteed to be entertained
this afternoon at Melbourne Park
when these two hit the court.
I speak of Nick Kyrgios and also Thanasi
Kokkinakis. They're the best of mates.
They're putting on a show
here at the practice courts.
[upbeat music playing]
- [director] One more, sorry.
- Premature. We're used to it.
That guy has got so many fucking kids
running around, for sure.
[Nick] Give it some. You're the guy
with the biggest forehand on tour.
[Thanasi] We were nine when I met Nick.
He was this big dude,
wearing all NBA gear pretty much.
Oh, what was that?
He was bigger than everyone
he was playing against.
He was loud.
He was like what he is now, to be honest.
What is that, bro? What is that?
We get along really well
and we're both very competitive.
[Thanasi] Oh, my goodness.
We're not just together
because we're good at tennis
and we play well on court together.
We spend shitloads of times off the court
just talking rubbish with each other.
Having each other's friendship
and company is everything.
When you have a close bond with someone,
you know what makes them tick.
[Nick] When I'm around Thanasi,
I definitely feel comfortable and at home.
That's why we want to play doubles
'cause we can kind of just have fun.
It's a laugh and stress-free environment,
which is hard to find, to be honest.
[female commentator]
Welcome to day five of the Australian Open
at the brand new Kia Arena.
[crowd cheering]
[male commentator]
After their first-round win,
it would be a huge scalp if they beat
the world's best number-one combination.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome, from Croatia,
Nikola Mectić and Mate Pavić!
[male commentator] These two guys,
Wimbledon and Olympic champions,
have won everything on offer.
[upbeat music playing]
[stadium announcer] And, from Australia,
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios.
[male commentator]
Two quality singles players
up against a well-rehearsed doubles team.
[cheering]
[Horse] In Australia, people are snacking
beers, and cheering, with faces painted,
flying flags.
I feel like that's what sport is.
I think tennis misses that a little.
[male commentator] It's a real
festival atmosphere at Kia Arena.
[upbeat music playing]
[grunting]
[cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Thanasi]
We're not professional doubles guys.
We're single guys who play doubles.
It's different.
A lot of doubles players work on angles
and "If you serve here,
they're going to hit it this way."
It's very technical and that's something
me and Nick are so far off thinking about,
and I think that's what makes it fun.
[male commentator]
A cracking pace in the first game.
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[cheering]
[cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
A couple of young boys having fun.
That's what it's all about.
After bowing out
to the world number two in singles,
he and Thanasi Kokkinakis
are on the verge of knocking out
the world number one doubles combination.
[cheering]
They've done it. What a performance from
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios, childhood mates.
They beat the best, all right.
[upbeat music playing]
What did I say?
What did I say? I told you.
Don't fuck with us at Kia Arena, yeah?
We move diff!
Different.
[female commentator] The headlines here,
they're revolutionizing the sport.
[Courtney]
Every match they have brought the energy
and the crowd has supported them.
[male commentator] He hits great shots.
He hits shots that nobody else hits.
He's got that talent.
That's why we go crazy.
Put this energy into singles as well.
Love him or loathe him, you can't take
your eyes off him when he plays tennis.
[male commentator]
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis
have taken another step
towards glory in the doubles.
[male commentator]
Let the wild ride continue.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis
through to the quarters.
He does well on the team format,
and whether
it's because of the camaraderie
or because the pressure is cut in half.
The Special K's have taken
Australian Open crowds on the wildest ride
in the tournament's history.
[male commentator]
And the greatest show goes on!
[female fan]
We're here to see Kyrgios play.
[cheering]
Go, Nick!
Young people are talking about tennis.
I say, "Go Special K's."
Special K's.
[male commentator] They're called
the Special K's. It makes sense.
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis
have become
the "cereal killers"
of the Australian Open doubles draw.
Hey, I'm Nick, nice to meet you.
- I'm Costeen.
- You're beautiful.
- Are you a famous tennis player?
- We play this game all the time.
You're handsome.
- Am I?
- Yeah.
I appreciate that.
[suspenseful music playing]
- I've never
- Man's getting older.
I am.
[Nick] This is our best run
in a Grand Slam ever.
I'll do everything I can tonight.
Get a good rest. Recover. Train.
- Listen to me, bro.
- I'm impressed.
I think we've got a good shot at winning.
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Some of the loudest
applause we have ever heard here.
[grunting]
[suspenseful music playing]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Good start for the Aussies.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
That's what they came to see.
[cheering]
[umpire] Let. First service.
I'm serving and it's far above the net.
How is it a let?
[male commentator]
The sensors say the ball hit the net.
If the ball does touch it, it's called
a let, and you retake the serve.
[umpire] Let. First service.
I didn't touch the net.
[umpire] Let.
[male commentator]
He's just been frayed a little bit.
- [umpire] Fault!
- Stop speaking before the point.
[male commentator] Getting irritated
with people in the crowd.
[audience gasping]
[shouting]
[audience gasping]
[male commentator] Broken racket
is an automatic code violation.
Nick's got to be careful right now.
[Thanasi] I was like, "Fuck,
I don't need him to implode here."
[Nick] before the serve.
How many times does that happen?
It doesn't make sense.
For fuck's sake.
If there's ever a time when I need
the man to stay calm, it's right here.
This could be a long way home.
[male commentator] Man, he is on the edge.
It's like the full moon came out
and the werewolf showed up.
[Nick] When I start losing my head
a little bit, he's trying to calm me down.
We know how each other's feeling.
What we're thinking. It's everything.
[Nick] We both lean on each other
at certain times
and we just try and keep our energy up.
[cheering]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Huge pressure moment.
[male commentator]
Kokkinakis comes up with the goods.
[intense music playing]
[music stops]
[loud cheering]
[intense music playing]
Kokkinakis and Kyrgios
join Ebden and Purcell
at the men's doubles final.
Unreal scenes.
I'm not finished. I want to win
this fucking thing, to be honest.
[loud cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Costeen laughing]
[Costeen] They're just doing a urine test.
He's like 30
- Thirty mils.
- under.
He has to keep drinking water.
[phone ringing]
You need to skull the water.
I've tried, baby. I've skulled two waters,
one Pepsi and one juice, I'm trying.
Well, just do your best.
Ew. Don't show me the pee.
I'm doing my best.
I'll be there as soon as I can.
Yeah, he needs to drink
more water because
it wasn't looking too good.
- Salad?
- [woman] Yes, thank you.
[mixed voices]
Are you going to do a Greek dance?
Absolutely not.
- Are you?
- No.
[Nick] If you told me three years ago
that I'd be here,
I wouldn't believe it.
Tennis is an extremely lonely sport.
I think that's what
I struggle with the most.
I need to be with my family.
I need to have my close circle around me.
[male commentator]
Crashing into Saturday's final.
As juniors, they won Wimbledon,
as men, they've made destroying
the world's best combinations
look like child's play.
[female commentator] There's probably
going to be the largest ever audience
for a men's doubles final
here in Australia
- [Nick] The way we trained like dogs.
- [Thanasi] We were running off
I don't know how we trained. Now, if
I'm tired, I can't put in a good session.
You feel the last few years.
Back then, we were not getting more
We were averaging three hours of sleep.
I was doing four or five hours a day.
You know what it was? It was because we
were so looking forward to the nights out.
- Yeah.
- That's what was fueling us.
Definitely reined it back a notch
since then.
[Nick] Definitely.
However, I do want to bring it back
for a small period.
[Thanasi] We've got memories
that go back a long time.
Definitely seen each other
at our best and worst.
[slow music playing]
[Nick] We've come a long way.
If I showed you a picture of what my
courts were like around my house
And now we're playing a Grand Slam final.
[Nick's mother] I'm very proud of my son.
- Thank you.
- I just want him to always be happy.
Ready?
[male commentator]
This is the men's doubles final.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome, from Australia,
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios.
- [male commentator] K-squared.
- [cheering]
They have electrified the locals.
They teamed up to have some fun initially,
but think of the journey
they made to get here.
They certainly showed that they can play.
[Horse] If he'd won a slam,
everything would go away.
I'd be lying if I said
I didn't want him to win a slam.
[male commentator] It's going to be
fascinating to see how it shakes out.
[Thanasi]
We've done well to get to the final.
We should be proud of ourselves.
[umpire] Ready. Play.
[intense music playing]
- [cheering]
- [male commentator] Game face on.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasps]
[cheering]
[male commentator]
They've got to work for this tonight.
[cheering]
[male commentator]
Good stuff from Ebden and Purcell.
They're dangerous. We know that.
[intense music playing]
[male commentator] They have to find a way
to make these guys miss.
Oof. I don't know if he's feeling
a little bit of tension.
[audience gasping]
[male commentator]
That's a Kyrgios special.
[loud cheering]
Kyrgios reminding everyone
that he's the guy.
Unbelievable.
[audience gasping]
[male commentator] That's a great shot.
To make that shot takes some talent.
[intense music playing]
[umpire] Game and first set.
[male commentator] Set number one
goes to Kyrgios and Kokkinakis.
Set number two. Here we go.
[intense music playing]
[loud cheering]
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
[male commentator]
There have been so many journeys together.
[intense music playing]
What a crescendo it has come to.
Down, but not out.
[intense music playing]
[audience gasping]
[cheering]
Three championship points.
[Nick] This is it.
[male commentator] With this serve,
serving for your first Grand Slam title.
[cheering]
[intense music playing]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] What a performance.
From childhood friends
to Grand Slam winners.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios
are the Australian Open
men's doubles champions!
[upbeat music playing]
[loud cheering]
[male commentator] Two best mates
have just come through
and won the Australian Open doubles.
They've beaten some of
the very best teams in the world.
[upbeat music playing]
[cheering]
[cheering continues]
[Nick] I didn't expect in this time
in my career to win a Grand Slam.
When people say, "Nick Kyrgios
didn't achieve this or achieve that"
Everything that I've gone through
led to a Grand Slam.
It's there. It's never leaving now.
[loud cheering]
[upbeat music playing]
[Nick]
I feel proud of everything I've overcome.
That whole journey to get here.
I'm here to show you that
I'm one of the best players in the world.
[cheering]
[Matteo] I remember my first big slam.
I was like, "This is it.
Like, this is happiness."
[male commentator]
Oh, that is a little bit of Matteo magic!
[Matteo] If it wasn't for Novak,
maybe I would've had a slam already.
[protester] Free Novak!
In breaking news, the world
number one's visa has been canceled.
[Matteo] Now it's my time.
- [speaking Italian]
- [laughter]
[cheering]
[Matteo] Wanna watch a movie
instead of tennis?
When I was seven, I already
had this dream of winning a slam.
[Chris Evert] The thing missing from her,
I said, "You're too nice."
You got to be bitchy out there sometimes.
Excellent. Excellent!
The thing is, tennis really
pushes you to the limit.
[stadium announcer]
Please welcome Rafael Nadal!
[Matteo] This sport, man.
Crazy.