“Now we’re like friends” : Nick Kyrgios reflects on his unexpected change in his relationship with Novak Djokovic
Over the years, Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic have had a complex relationship, containing mixed feelings of respect and admiration but also more than a few moments when their rivalry got seriously intense, which caused friction in their relationship.
Many examples come to mind, but the most prominent one would probably be their public spats during the time of lockdown, which attracted a lot of media attention as well. In 2020, Djokovic was partially responsible for several fans and players testing positive for the then ongoing COVID-19, due to an event he organized, which led the 29-year-old speak some harsh words about the Serbian.
Tensions between the duo came at an all-time high when the 24-time Grand Slam champion wanted to ease out the COVID-19 quarantine restrictions ahead of the 2021 Australian Open, and sent a written letter to tournament director Craig Tiley, but the Australian was fully against this idea and reacted in a highly unpleasant matter. But recently, the Australian admitted that him and the Serbian are now much closer than before, and that the things which happened in the past is water under the bridge.
“We text each other, we send ridiculous memes and all this stuff on Instagram” : Nick Kyrgios
The duo’s relationship turned over a new leaf in 2022, when Djokovic unfortunately got deported during the Australian Open vaccination event, and the 29-year-old came in full support for the Serbian. It has been smooth sailing from then on for the two, and the Australian recently addressed this on a recent episode on the ‘Tennis Insider Club’ podcast.
“The fact that I played a Slam final with Novak at Wimbledon is crazy, because we’re so different that now we’re like friends and it’s amazing and I get to hit with him and help him, it’s pretty cool.” said Kyrgios.
“Yeah, it’s crazy. I never thought that I’d be really good friends with Novak Djokovic at all, and it’s not just on the courts. It’s like, we text each other, we send ridiculous memes and all this stuff on Instagram.” the Australian added.
The duo also shared a feel-good moment in the recently concluded 2024 US Open, which showcased how far their relationship has come about. After his win over the retired Laslo Djere, the 37-year-old had a light-hearted interview on-court with Kyrgios, where he mocked the high standards of the Australian, amongst other jokes.
