tennis
“Bromance”: Djokovic and Kyrgios with respect for the final
Novak Djokovic finds words of praise for his final opponent Nick Kyrgios. Photo: Alastair Grant/AP/dpa
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For a long time, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were united in heartfelt dislike. Before the Wimbledon final, however, they write messages via Instagram. The Serb is chasing Nadal’s record.
Novak Djokovic already got a little foretaste of the “fireworks” of emotions he expected in the Wimbledon final.
When the interviewer on Center Court mentioned the name of his next opponent, Nick Kyrgios, after the Serb reached his fourth straight final, the spectators murmured loudly, some cheered.
“The job is not done yet,” emphasized Djokovic. “He’s a player for big games. If you look at his career, he has always played his best tennis against the top guys. That’s why we all respect him. It will be an interesting match.”
Djokovic is aiming for a seventh Wimbledon title
For the Serb it is already his 32nd final in a Grand Slam tournament on Sunday, more than his opponents Roger Federer (31) and Rafael Nadal (30) have played. Kyrgios, on the other hand, makes his final debut on the big tennis stage in the 30th attempt.
“The experience at this level, playing a final against someone who has never been in a Grand Slam final, could easily speak for me,” said Djokovic, who is aiming for his seventh Wimbledon title. “But at the same time I know who he is, how he approaches tennis, what his attitude is on the court. It seems he’s not under a lot of pressure.” Djokovic lost the previous two duels without winning a set himself.
Even if the controversial Kyrgios was in the headlines at the beginning of this tournament more with referee abuse than his sporting achievements, the 27-year-old has since stabilized. The Australian has dominated his recent games with the dangerous serve without ever losing his rhythm. “There were definitely times when I hated my sport, but there are also times when I think I’m one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met,” he said of himself before the final.
Deep dislike also determined the relationship with Djokovic for a long time. He doesn’t like him “at all,” Kyrgios announced last year. Kyrgios had long criticized Djokovic’s behavior during the corona pandemic. However, when the unvaccinated Serb was denied entry to the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, he received encouragement. “When it was really difficult for me in Australia, he was one of the few players who spoke out publicly and supported me and stood by me,” said Djokovic. “It’s something I really appreciate. I respect him very much for that.”
Kyrgios speaks of “bromance”
The Australian said before the final that he and Djokovic now have a kind of “bromance”, a friendly relationship between men. “I don’t know if I can already call this a bromance, but we definitely have a better relationship than it was before January this year,” Djokovic said. They would always message each other directly on Instagram, Kyrgios reported. “It’s really crazy.” Earlier this week, Djokovic wrote: “Hopefully we’ll see each other on Sunday.”
In a Grand Slam, the two could not see each other again so quickly. Since Djokovic is still not vaccinated, he cannot currently travel to the US for the US Open. It is unclear whether the Serb will be allowed to enter Australia again next year. So the 20-time Grand Slam tournament winner must seize every opportunity to attack the injured Rafael Nadal’s men’s record of 22. “I don’t know how many more opportunities I’ll have to win the trophy at Grand Slams,” said Djokovic.