Djokovic Gives Honest Verdict On Kyrgios' Harsh Statements About Sinner's Doping Case
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Novak Djokovic is one of those who doesn't shy away from supporting Nick Kyrgios, and he now gave his honest verdict on the Australian's statements about Jannik Sinner's doping case.
Since Sinner tested positive for a banned substance, clostebol, there hasn't been a more vocal critic of the fact that the Italian player avoided a suspension than Kyrgios.
It might be tied to the fact that Kyrgios didn't play on the ATP Tour in 2024, as he was working on his body to return to the tennis courts in peak health in 2025.
His return will happen at the Brisbane International, and that's the same tournament that also Djokovic will start his new season with, as the two even signed up to play doubles together in Brisbane.
Upon his arrival in Australia, Djokovic held a press conference, answering a wide range of questions. Some were related to his plans, his tennis, and his appointment of Andy Murray as a coach, and some were related to other players.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion talked about Sinner's doping case, but he also talked about Kyrgios' statements about the case. Djokovic believes that everyone has a right to express themselves, especially on social media.
"We live in a world where everyone has the right to express themselves, especially on social media. Nick has spoken a lot about the whole Jannik doping case, and he's right about the transparency and the inconsistency of the protocols and the comparisons between the various cases."
On top of that, Djokovic partially agrees with Kyrgios. The 37-year-old player thinks that there were many inconsistencies in doping cases, which is why he spoke about the topic.
"We have seen many players in the past, and also currently, who have been suspended for not even having undergone anti-doping tests and for not having communicated their whereabouts, and some lower-ranked players who have been waiting for their cases to be resolved for more than a year."
The 10-time Australian Open champion also spoke about things directly tied to him. He spoke about his 2024 season, which was a mixed bag. On the one hand, he won the gold medal in Paris. On the other hand, he ended the season without winning a major title.
"It’s been an interesting year in which my main focus and priority was to win the gold medal in the Olympics and I achieved that. [I] had the surgery of the knee, but I managed to play soon after that the Wimbledon final, which was also a surprise to me to be honest."
"It was a great tournament period between Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the Olympic Games. But overall, I’ve had more losses and ups and downs in this season than previous seasons, so I’m looking for a good start of the season."
That's something he will want to change in 2025, and the Brisbane International, where he's guaranteed to play at least two matches thanks to signing up for the doubles event, might provide him a great start to the new year.
