Kyrgios to partner Bouchard in US Open mixed doubles

Kyrgios Bouchard

More: Rafa refuses to play with Kyrgios

Reports surfaced this week that the under-fire Kyrgios will team up with Bouchard for the US Open starting on Monday.

Kyrgios and Bouchard are Nike stablemates and recently appeared on-court together in the Steal the Show campaign in New York.

 

While Kyrgios has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in 2015, Bouchard has had her fair share of negative publicity, with the Toronto Sun in her native Canada calling this year “a remarkable disaster.”

After bursting onto the scene last year by becoming the first Canadian to make the Wimbledon final, she lost form in 2015 and has drawn criticism for being a "spoiled brat" after refusing to shake her opponent’s hand at a Fed Cup tie.

Social media’s response to the new pairing of Kyrgios and Bouchard was mixed, but there was a fair amount of support for the move.

 

Kyrgios faces a tough ask in the first round of the singles draw with a showdown against Andy Murray.

The Canberran has played Murray twice in Grand Slams this year, losing in straight sets in the Australian and French Opens.

Kyrgios will join fellow Aussie young-gun Thanasi Kokkinakis in the men’s doubles, with the pair saying they’ve both moved on from Kyrgios’ infamous “banged your girlfriend” sledge directed at Stan Wawrinka.

The unseeded Kyrgios will play the last Grand Slam of the year with a suspended 28-day ban and $25,000 fine following his Wawrinka outburst.

Kyrgios and Kokkinakis played together at the Australian Open, being eliminated in the round of 16.

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