Nick Kyrgios doesn't care what you think of him and hopes to one day 'be an icon' after Australian Open doubles win

At an inconspicuous sports hall, nestled amongst the historic buildings surrounding Sydney Harbour, Nick Kyrgios is beaming as he runs up and down a basketball court with his mates.

He's made no secret of the fact that his first sporting love is basketball as opposed to tennis — a sport that made him a household name and one of Australia's most contentious athletes.

His flashy style of tennis playing is reflected in his spectacular ability as a basketball player — and his everyday life.

He arrived to his interview with ABC's 7.30 in a bright green Tesla.

One of the mates he shares the court with is Thanasi Kokkinakis.

Only a week or so earlier, the pair were on a court of the tennis variety, hoisting up the Australian Open doubles trophy after an extraordinary run through the tournament.

But the pair's journey had begun years before when they met at a junior tournament in Canberra when they were eight years old.

«I saw a big chubby kid just nailing the ball,» Kokkinakis said.

«I had just come from Adelaide and won my regional event there.

»Saw the big man playing, saw his dad, decked out in Jordan gear, and I thought, 'I'm probably going to be mates with this dude'."

Nick Kyrgios said he felt a similar bond.

«Basically, since then, I've had a pretty I think brotherly relationship going through from under-10s all the way to basically professional now, which is pretty special,» Kyrgios said.

«Usually your paths go off to different, you know, regions, but we've pretty much stayed the same.

»To this day, we love hooping at KGV [King George V Recreation Centre] in Sydney to, you know, being on the main stage when you win a grand slam — it's pretty crazy."

The doubles pairing was as spectacular as it was controversial.

The on-court theatrics