Kyrgios (27) and Kokinakis (26) won the Australian Open in doubles earlier this year. The two Australians will also play together again in New York. However, the singles draw resulted in a first-round clash between the two friends. They stepped onto the track after Serena Williams postponed her potential retirement on a crowded court with a victory over Danka Kovinic.
“I will never forget this evening,” Kyrgios said. “It was crazy to be playing with one of my best friends in front of a record number of spectators after Serena’s possible last match. We know each other’s game through and through. So this was one of the most uncomfortable matches of my career. I tried not to look at him. I felt that That helped me a little bit.”
Kyrgios reached the Wimbledon final last month, losing to Novak Djokovic. In the run-up to the US Open, the currently ranked 25th in the world won the ATP Championship in Washington and thanks to Kokkinakis he took the doubles title in Atlanta.