DJOKER RETURNS SERVE
Novak’s not a fan of Kyrgios
THE simmering tennis feud between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios has exploded on the eve of the Australian Open, with the world No.1 declaring “I don’t have much respect” for the Aussie star.
Kyrgios has been vocal in his criticism of the 17-time grand slam champion, taking shots at Djokovic over everything from his on-court demeanour and desperation to be liked to his controversial attitude to COVID-19 protocols.
Just last week Kyrgios declared Djokovic was “a tool” for writing to Australian Open organisers to ease quarantine restriction for players, who were stuck in a hard lockdown due to Australia’s strict COVID conditions.
And Djokovic has finally had enough.
In his pre-tournament press conference, ahead of his bid for an astonishing ninth Australian Open, he addressed the elephant in the room.
“Off the court, I don’t have much respect for him, to be honest. That’s where I’ll close it,” Djokovic said.
“I really don’t have any further comments for him, his own comments for me or anything else he’s trying to do.”
Kyrgios also took potshots at Djokovic over last year’s Adria Tour, held in the midst of the global pandemic, at which players, including Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, partied with locals before the charity event turned into a
giant COVID mess, with players contracting the virus.
As far as Kyrgios’ on-thecourt antics go, Djokovic is far more willing to lavish praise on the controversial 25-year-old star – who remains one of the biggest drawcards in Australian sport, despite just reaching the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park just once.
“I think he’s good for the sport. Obviously he’s someone that is different,” the Serb said.
“He goes about his tennis, he goes about his off-court things in his own authentic way. I have respect for him.
“I have respect for everyone else really because everyone has a right and freedom to choose how they want to express themselves, what they want to do.”
The feud between the pair dates back to a 2019 podcast, where Kyrgios described Djokovic’s “sick obsession” with wanting to be liked.
“I just feel like he (Djokovic) has a sick obsession, wanting to be liked,” Kyrgios told
the No Challenges Remaining podcast. “He just wants to be like Roger (Federer). He just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him.”
Whether he will be liked like Federer is one thing, but Djokovic could well end up with more grand slam titles than the Swiss giant – and could pull within two should he claim a ninth Australian Open this fortnight.
Only Rafael Nadal’s dominance of Roland Garros can compare to Djokovic’s record in Melbourne, which he happily refers to as a “love affair”.
“Probably something similar maybe not like Rafa has with the French Open, but I’ve been feeling more comfortable on the court each year that I’ve been coming back,” he said.
“The more you win, obviously the more confidence you have and the more pleasant you feel on the court.
“If you’re in the right state of mind, regardless of the surface, you have a better chance to play at your best.”
Off the court, I don’t have much respect for him (Kyrgios), to be honest
NOVAK DJOKOVIC