Tennis, as a general rule, doesn't really resonate with punters, but Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios aren't playing by general rules.

Ash Barty is. Her incredible run of form is something to behold, but it doesn't defy belief in the same way the Special Ks have breathed life into an Australian Open plenty of us were jack of before it even began.

It hasn't been everyone's cup of tea but, for most of us, there's a collective joy in watching a couple of naughty school boys getting away with something right under the world's nose.

Kokkinakis is the golden child who wouldn't put a foot wrong on his own, while Kyrgios is the wild best mate his parents always warned him to steer clear of.

It's seems unlikely Kokkinakis would have urged fans to "sink piss and come here" without Kyrgios egging him on.

It's equally unlikely Kyrgios' antics along the way would inspire such applause were it not the yin to his best mate's yang.

It's what's truly fascinating about their run to Open final. Both are drawing on the other for attributes they don't posses, perhaps even envy in the other.

Kokkinakis has never drawn so much attention, while Kyrgios has never been so beloved.

Plenty have asked if they're watching tennis or a WWE tag-team match. It's truly bizarre, and simply infuriating for their rivals; just ask Michael Venus.

The sport's top doubles players are the honest trojans of the tennis circuit, going about their work with a quiet dignity drawing praise and admiration from only the most ardent purists.

It's what we admired so much about 'the Woodies', Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge, but they were never box office.

The Ks oft-stated lack of care for the outcome, or opinions of it, is like a suit of armour. A loss would be greeted by a shrug.

It's something akin to buying a bottle of Grange only to tip it down the sink in front of a bunch of top sommeliers.

Read more: King's dream comes true with Socceroos debut

The atmosphere has been something like professional darts, a sport where fans relish in bringing raucous booze-soaked energy to a sport that should be the antithesis of an arena spectacle. Like a big joke we're all in on.

It shouldn't be surprising that it is in team tennis that Kyrgios is winning people over given the process of reshaping his image started through Davis Cup.

If you recall, that's also where former superbrat Lleyton Hewitt forced his way into our hearts by sheer will. Even Mark Philipoussis was elevated by his efforts in Australian garb.

Tennis presents a unique offering to fickle fans. Whether a player is representing just themselves - or their nation - tends to swing on their winning and losing.

It was a running joke through Hewitt's early days that he was a win-win proposition. You want him to win because he's Australian, and you want him to lose because he's a wanker.

He's quite rightly beloved these days but the analogy has been oft-repeated in relation to his successors.

While his behaviour along the way has left him open to criticism, at a very fundamental level, Kyrgios' most egregious crime in the eyes of fans is not matching his supreme talent with commensurate desire.

However frustrating it may be to us, Kyrgios' talent is his to do with what he wishes. At present, it's putting on a show; F-bombs and all.

It's a gift for Tennis Australia, which needed a lot more than a Barty party to overcome the Novak Djokovic poo fight that engulfed the tournament build-up.

It goes some way to explaining why punters have found it so easy to love the Special Ks.

Through the Djokovic saga, countless columns were written contrasting the supposed anti-authoritarianism that informs our national character and our generally large-scale compliance with government directives.

That commentary's largely missed the point. Australians don't love rules, they love the notion that no one should be above them - even the best tennis player who ever lived.

Put it this way, would Tennis Australia have sought to move as much heaven and earth to ensure the world's top doubles pairing could enter the country unvaccinated?

TA went to great lengths to indulge Djokovic's freedom of choice, while banning fans for simply wearing shirts that draw attention to the plight of Peng Shuai (ironically a former World No. 1 doubles player).

This stance has since been reversed as a result of public pressure - I'm sure we'll get a vague email about that in a week or so.

It's that type of hypocrisy that does not sit well with most Aussies who feel the shirtless boofhead doing shoeys has as much right to enjoy the tennis as the white-sweater mob sipping Moet.

People have asked if this is the future of tennis - the answer is probably not. What's made the circus so enthralling is that it's sprung from nowhere amid factors that will never combine again.

People will no doubt try, but it's hard to see lightning striking twice. That will bring some solace for those who really do despise the whole show.

The rest of us should enjoy while it lasts. With the shift to main arenas, it may have already gone, but forgive those who take Kokkinakis' advice.

It's been f---n awesome, eh.

The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.