Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic weren't always as close as they are now, but their relationship has improved over the years.
Kyrgios is a very outspoken tennis player who doesn't mind speaking his mind on any topic. This got him a lot of hate early on in his career because he didn't care about what others thought about his opinions.
He just spoke his mind, and his mind didn't always align with what fans or his opponents thought. That continued throughout his career, but more recently, his takes have been quite sensible, which earned him plenty of fans and those who respect that he remains true to himself.
One such outspoken episode happened during the pandemic of COVID-19 when Kyrgios blasted Djokovic's ill-fated Adria Tour. The Serbian had good intentions with the Adria Tour, but it turned out to be a disaster when some players caught the virus while playing there.
"I don’t know what I have done to cause that kind of behavior, yours towards me but it was interesting to follow that for a couple of years. A part of me was like, ‘Don’t answer, don’t get involved.’ And you were pushing all the buttons man and then I thought to myself, ‘I really wanna speak to him’, because I don’t know what I have done. I’m boring to him."
The Australian opposed the idea, and he chose quite straightforward words to say that. However, they reconciled during the deportation saga because Kyrgios was one of the few players who openly supported Djokovic at that time.
"So then, two years ago, the thing happened what happened here in Australia for me, I don’t wanna go back but, I had a tough time. And you stood up for me, you stood up for me, that was a big surprise."
He called on for empathy toward him, which Djokovic appreciated. Since then, they've been in good accord, and their relationship improved further after they contested the Wimbledon final.
"You were one of the very few colleagues on the tour that stood up, that used his platform, used his voice to support and that’s something I’ll never forget and since that moment, our relationship has gotten better."
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