Nick Kyrgios thanks Thanasi Kokkinakis for helping him wake up in a good mood after French Open heroics

Thanasi Kokkinakis overcame former French Open champion Stan Wawrinka in the second round of the 2023 French Open on Wednesday, May 31. In an amazing display of resilience and grit by both players, the five-set match lasted four hours and 38 minutes.

Kokkinakis rallied from the first set down to win the next two sets. However, Wawrinka fought back and and took the match to a decider set. The Aussie was up 5-3 and was serving for the match in the final set, when the Swiss roared back and saved four match points.

It came down to the wire before Kokkinakis closed the match 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

Nick Kyrgios had expressed his excitement for the encounter via Twitter when the schedule was released. However, with Wawrinka winning the second and the third set on Wednesday, Kyrgios, who is recovering from a foot injury at home in Australia, decided to call it a night.

"Going to bed, I don’t want to wake up and see Kokki lose another thriller please," Kyrgios wrote.

Thanasi Kokkinakis acknowledged his compatriot's message with a "Gotchu" after winning the match.

Kyrgios was in for a pleasant surprise the next day when he woke up to the news of his doubles counterpart's triumph.

"Thanks my bro. I woke up in a good mood….. Pretty cheeky match to win," he wrote in response to Kokkinakis' aforementioned tweet.

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Thanasi Kokkinakis buries the ugly Nick Kyrgios sledge hatchet, calls Stan Wawrinka a "legend"

Thanasi Kokkinakis at the 2023 French Open

Thanasi Kokkinakis was notably in the firing line of the unpleasant history between his doubles partner Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka. During their match at the 2015 Canadian Open, Kyrgios sledged Wawrinka by suggesting that Kokkinakis had history with the Swiss' then-girlfriend and WTA star Donna Vekic.

However, Kokkinakis was full of respect and admiration for the three-time Grand Slam champion after his second-round win at the 2023 French Open. He shook hands and embraced Wawrinka at the net and spoke highly of him in his on-court interview.

The Aussie also equated their encounter to his match against Andy Murray at the 2023 Australian Open.

"The first set and a half he was playing I think the best tennis he can play," Kokkinakis said of Wawrinka.

"I was just trying to hang in there. I lost a match in a Grand Slam earlier this year against Murray from two sets to love [up], I didn’t want to do it against another legend."

He added:

"They’re the fun ones, they’re what you play for. Against legends who make it really tough on you. You can’t count these guys out no matter how old they are. They just play. They get better and better, and you can see why they are multiple grand slam champions."

Kokkinakis will next square off against Karen Khachanov in the third round of the tournament.