Reception unknown as Wimbledon braces for Kyrgios-Kokkinakis show

The rowdier the crowd, the better. Such a plea would usually be as welcome at Wimbledon as Russian and Belarusian players in 2022. But it is the ethos that drives the Special Ks show, coming to the All England Club over the next fortnight and featuring bullet-like serving, blistering forehands and bombastical quotes.

The Australian double act of Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis have played to full houses in Melbourne, Indian Wells and Miami this year, drawing crowds with their thrill-a-minute routine. A doubles match featuring the duo provides one of the wildest rides in tennis, ranging from brilliant to bewildering, occasionally in the same point and certainly in the same game.

Sitting courtside at Melbourne Park this year, with a new stadium court filled with screaming fans, proved a deafening experience. Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, who graduated to the Champion Ks after their run to the Australian Open title, thrived on the raucous atmosphere.

“The rowdier, the better, from everyone, honestly,” Kokkinakis said. But the Special Ks experience is not for everyone and it will be fascinating to see how the combination is received in SW19.

The brashness with which they have approached a discipline desperate for a profile boost has infuriated some rivals this year. Purists and fellow players alike struggled with the behaviour of fans drawn by a spectacle starkly different to the norm in doubles during their stunning run at Melbourne Park.

Tempers boiled over as a result, with experienced hands feeling slighted. A triumph over established combination Mate Pavić and Nikola Mektić almost ended in a locker room brawl when an aggrieved trainer of the beaten pair confronted the Australians waving a foam roller.

Kiwi Michael Venus