"Novak needs to be playing at all costs" - Kyrgios on Djokovic at Australian Open

| by Sebastian Dahlman

Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic are known for how they respect each other, especially after their meeting in the All England Club this year.

They were set for a rematch at the 2022 World Tennis League, but it wasn't meant to be. The Australian was excited to play his opponent from the Wimbledon final in Dubai, but since the Serbian had to withdraw, it couldn't happen, and he talked about it afterwards:

"I was pretty excited to play Novak obviously, since the Wimbledon final and all that, wanted to go out there and have some fun with him," said Kyrgios. "But he's got to look after his body and obviously he's a got a big couple of months coming up with a lot of expectations, so I wasn't surprised if he wasn’t feeling 100 per cent to get out there."

Djokovic suddenly withdraws from Kyrgios clash in Dubai
Djokovic suddenly withdraws from Kyrgios clash in Dubai

Speaking about the upcoming Australian Open, which Djokovic was forced to miss last year but should compete again in 2023, Kyrgios said:

"I think Novak needs to be playing at all costs," Kyrgios told AFP at the World Tennis League in Dubai on Wednesday. "He's one of the greatest of all time and as long as he's going to be playing and hanging around, we need him at these tournaments."

"I think, as a competitor, I want to see him there," Kyrgios said of Djokovic. "And if I win a tournament, if you don't go through Novak, then you kind of know the tournament isn't really a tournament."

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