Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic are good friends in 2024, but their relationship wasn’t always this close. One significant event changed their relationship forever, and Kyrgios never saw it coming.
Initially, the Australian player didn’t have many issues with Djokovic while coming up through the ranks. Both players garnered a lot of media attention, even though not always for positive reasons.
Despite Kyrgios' fair share of controversy, their paths didn’t intersect too frequently until the pandemic. During the pandemic, Djokovic organized a series of exhibition matches in the Balkans to give spectators in his native region a chance to enjoy live tennis.
This initiative wasn’t well received, particularly when several players and spectators tested positive for the virus shortly after the events began. Kyrgios took to Twitter to criticize the Serbian legend, questioning the decision to hold such events during a global health crisis.
Djokovic did not respond publicly to Kyrgios's comments initially, but he later did, and it was evident he wasn't very pleased with them.
"My respect goes to him for the tennis he's playing. I think he's a very talented guy, he's got a big game and he's proven that he has a quality to beat any player in the world."
"Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest. That's where I'll close it. I don't really have any further comments for him and his own comments for me or anything else he's trying to do."
The dynamics changed dramatically during Djokovic's 2022 Australian Open saga when he was deported from the country.
While many remained silent, Kyrgios was one of the few players who spoke out in support of Djokovic. He called on people to show restraint and respect for a legend of the game during one of his toughest moments.
The 24-time major winner greatly appreciated Kyrgios’ support during the challenging times. It was unexpected but welcomed support from someone he hadn’t anticipated would stand by him.
This gesture of solidarity led to them starting to communicate more regularly, with Djokovic expressing his gratitude to Kyrgios for speaking up.
Their Wimbledon final certainly added a competitive edge to their relationship, and it's blossomed ever since. They practiced in London this year, and it's been going great. It's something that Kyrgios never expected to happen because of how things unfolded in the years before.
"The fact that I played a Slam final with Novak at Wimbledon is crazy, because we're so different that now we're like friends and it's amazing and I get to hit with him and help him, it's pretty cool."
"Yeah, it's crazy. I never thought that I'd be really good friends with Novak Djokovic at all, and it's not just on the courts. It's like, we text each other, we send ridiculous memes and all this stuff on Instagram."
0 Comments