NICK TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON DJOKER
A WEEK after he labelled Novak Djokovic a “tool” Aussie tennis star Nick Kyrgios has doubled-down on his views and said he will continue to make the world No.1 accountable for his actions and opinions.
Last week Kyrgios was furious with Djokovic for asking Australian Open organisers to ease quarantine restrictions for players, a request which included letting players stay in mansions with tennis courts.
It was the latest in an ongoing stoush between the pair, which intensified after Djokovic‘s infamous exhibition tournament last June, which ended in him and other players testing positive for COVID-19. Kyrgios described that as “boneheaded”.
And on Tuesday the world No.47 said it was important to hold fellow tennis professionals to account when they act out, especially influential ones like Djokovic.
“I think it’s very important (to hold players accountable) especially when it’s one of our leaders of our sport,” he said.
“(Djokovic is) one of our leaders of our sport. He’s technically our LeBron James in the way he has to be setting an example for all tennis players,” Kyrgios told CNN.
“When he was doing some of the things he was doing during the global pandemic, it just wasn‘t the right time.
“I know everyone makes mistakes, some of us go off track sometimes, and I think we have to hold each other accountable. We‘re colleagues at the end of the day; we compete against each other, we play in the same sport.
“No one else was really holding him (Djokovic)
accountable. Everyone loses their way a little bit but I think he just needs to pull it back.
“I‘m not doing any of this sort of stuff for media attention: these are the morals I’ve grown up with and I was just trying to do my part.”
Kyrgios, who hasn’t a
played a tournament for almost 12 months due to COVID-19, has been bumped out of the ATP Cup next week due to his world ranking having slipped below Alex de Minaur and John Millman.
Instead, he will play one of the ATP 250 events in Melbourne before the Open.