Kyrgios & Kokkinakis qualify for 2022 ATP Finals despite injury uncertainty
ATP
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis officially qualified for the 2022 ATP Finals, thanks to their Australian Open win earlier this year.
Similar to Novak Djokovic in singles, Kyrgios and Kokkinakis didn't need to finish in the Top 8 of the 2022 ATP Race to Turin to qualify for the ATP Finals this year. They were eligible for a special rule that allowed them to qualify.
There are seven spots at the ATP Finals guaranteed for players who collect the most points in a given year, and an eighth spot either for a team that collected the eighth most points, or for a team of Grand Slam champions who were ranked between eighth and 20th spot in the ATP Race.
That is the rule that came in handy for Kyrgios and Kokkinakis. The Australian duo started the season by winning the Australian Open, and they later also played in the semi-finals of the Miami Open and won the Atlanta Open.
The Special K's are now sure to qualify for the year-end championships since they are guaranteed to finish among the 20 highest-ranked teams in doubles.
There was still one threat for Kyrgios and Kokkinakis, as Wimbledon champions Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell could overtake them and become eligible for a spot for the Grand Slam champions. But that now won't happen.
That means Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will join a strong doubles field at the 2022 ATP Finals that currently features Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski, Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer, and Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic.
However, it's not sure if Kyrgios and Kokkinakis will travel to Italy since the 2022 Wimbledon finalist withdrew from events in Basel and Paris as he struggles with an injury.
Moreover, Kyrgios is not part of the Australian Davis Cup team, so there are plenty of hints that the Australian duo might miss the year-end event.
