Kyrgios Rejects Need For Djokovic Insight: 'I've Beaten Him Twice'
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Nick Kyrgios dismissed the idea of needing to "pick" Novak Djokovic's brain, as the duo teamed up at the 2025 Brisbane International.
Kyrgios and Djokovic became good friends, and their friendship was made official also on the tennis courts, as they formed a team in the doubles event at the ATP 250 tournament in Brisbane.
In the first round of the doubles tournament, they took on Alexander Erler and Andreas Mies, and they were victorious, beating the German-Austrian duo 6-4, 6-7(4), 10-8.
It was a great experience for both, who seemed to have enjoyed the match. On top of that, it was an important match for both, as they want to have a good start of the new season, and playing doubles before starting their singles campaign will be beneficial.
That's likely also one of the reasons why they chose to play doubles, but some reporters present in Brisbane saw it a bit differently. Kyrgios was whether he would try to "pick" Djokovic's brain when the two meet on the same side of the court.
Kyrgios quickly dismissed that idea, saying that he's beaten Djokovic twice before. The Australian player holds a positive H2H record against the 24-time major winner, who has beaten him only once in three meetings.
"I don't pick his brain. I mean, you're acting like I'm not a decent tennis player. Like, I've beaten the guy twice."
Of course, Kyrgios recognizes Djokovic's undeniable qualities, but he didn't want to team up to learn something from him. He wants to have fun on the tennis court with his new friend.
"Look, he's an amazing player, the greatest ever to play the court. I wouldn't say I'm going out there and, 'Oh, my God, Novak, you're the best. Please give me advice.' I'm not like that."
At the same time, Kyrgios also thinks that the partnership might actually help Djokovic. The 37-year-old Serbian is known for his strict approach to the sport, and having a bit of fun might help him, according to the Australian player.
"I think I actually help him more because he's got to the point in his career he wants to obviously have a bit of fun. You don't get to a position like that, and you don't get to have a career like that without serious discipline day in, day out. Now he's starting to have a bit of fun."
Kyrgios also linked Djokovic's latest move, which saw him employ Andy Murray as his coach, as a move to spark some "change," a change in his approach that might also include the fun part on the court.
"Obviously, employing Andy Murray as his coach. He is looking for a change. He's playing doubles with arguably the most controversial tennis players."
"He is, I think, to the point where he wants to have something fresh, have a bit of fun, remember that he can reward himself at the end of the day. It doesn't always have to be super, super straightforward, no fun at all."
