Melbourne, Australia, 6 November 2020 | Leigh Rogers

A 17-year-old Nick Kyrgios won the Australian Open boys’ singles title in 2013.

Kyrgios scored a 7-6(4) 6-3 victory against compatriot and doubles partner Thanasi Kokkinakis. It was the first all-Australian boys’ singles final played at Melbourne Park in 19 years.

It capped a brilliant tournament for Kyrgios, who also secured the world No.1 junior ranking during his run at Melbourne Park.

“Obviously I’m going to take a lot confidence out off this. Still a long way to go, it’s a long journey, anything can happen, but right now I’m really happy,” Kyrgios said after winning his first Grand Slam junior singles title. “I’m just going to keep working hard.”

The final also marked a first match at Rod Laver Arena for both of the young Australians.

“I had a bit of a hit on it before my match. Obviously I was looking around a lot and just trying to think it’s the same dimensions of any other court I’ve played on,” Kyrgios said.

“It was obviously a great experience being out there knowing that (Roger) Federer and (Andy) Murray were grinding it out the night before.”

The 16-year-old Kokkinakis, a wildcard entrant, revealed after the match he was playing with a back stress fracture.

“I was pretty shattered to be honest,” said Kokkinakis, who had three set points in the opening set.

“I thought I was going to pull out, which isn’t the right mindset going into a final. But the doctor said it couldn’t really get much worse. I did a bit better than I thought I would. I didn’t think I would make it through a set.”

Kokkinakis refused to use his injury as an excuse.

“He was too good,” he said of Kyrgios. “To beat a player like Nick, it’s hard enough when you’re 100 per cent healthy.”

Kyrgios finished his junior career with four Grand Slam titles – one in singles and three in doubles. He claimed the Roland Garros and Wimbledon boys’ doubles titles alongside Andrew Harris in 2012, then won the Wimbledon boys’ doubles title with Kokkinakis in 2013.

Kokkinakis also reached the US Open boys’ singles final in 2013, where he lost to Croatian Borna Coric in three sets.

A year later, at Australian Open 2014, both Kyrgios and Kokkinakis advanced to the second round of the men’s singles draw as wildcards.