Although Nick Kyrgios said bad things about me for years, he stood by me in Australia, he was among the few who spoke publicly in my favor & I am grateful to him for that: Novak Djokovic
Former World No. 1 Novak Djokovic had some positive things to say about Nick Kyrgios. The Serb, who won his fourth-round encounter against wildcard Tim van Rijthoven in four sets, will face 10th seed Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
The 35-year-old has won 25 matches on the trot at SW19, with his last loss coming to Tomas Berdych in the last eight in 2017. After his win against van Rijthoven, Djokovic was asked to give his thoughts on Nick Kyrgios in an interview with Sportklub.
The Serb stated that Kyrgios brings a lot of attention to tennis and that while some of his comments on and off the court are "debatable," he's still authentic, which he respects.
"With Kyrgios, you often see such situations on the field. It's always fun, and on the other hand, maybe not so much for his opponent. The fact is that it is him and whether someone likes him or not, he brings a lot of attention to tennis," Djokovic said.
"I see that it is good that he attracts a group of young people who follow him, love and like him because he is different and plays like that - and I don't think that is bad for our sport. Maybe in some situations his comments on and off the pitch are debatable, but that's authentic Kyrgios - and I respect that," he added.
Despite Kyrgios' negative comments about him in the past, Novak Djokovic was grateful to the Australian for standing by him and supporting him publicly during his visa controversy Down Under.
Although he said bad things about me for years, he stood by me again in Australia - and when it was most difficult for me, he was one of the few who spoke in public in my favor and supported me - and I am grateful to him for that," Djokovic said.
The Serb, who is unvaccinated, was eventually deported from Australia and was unable to defend his title in Melbourne.
"I hope that Tsitsipas also realizes that it was a mistake and that he was very lucky" - Novak Djokovic on the Greek hitting a ball into the crowd
In the same interview, Novak Djokovic was asked about Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas' third-round encounter at Wimbledon and the drama that ensued.
At one point, Tsitsipas launched a ball into the crowd, almost hitting a spectator. The Serb alluded to having similar outbursts in the past, but said that he always tried to respect his opponent.
"Many times I behaved badly and unsportsmanlike on the court and in terms of outpouring of emotions, but I always tried to have sportsmanship and respect for my opponent," Djokovic said.
"What happened to me at the US Open almost happened to Tsitsipas. He was lucky not to hit anyone directly in the audience, although the ball bounced off the wall and then hit someone in the audience - because he hit it pretty hard. I've had that situation in the past - and I know how frustrating it is on the field," he added.
Referencing the incident at the 2020 US Open when the Serb accidentally hit a linesperson and got defaulted, Novak Djokovic said he was ashamed of what happened and repented for his mistake. The 35-year-old added that he hopes Tsitsipas realizes his mistake and that "he was very lucky".
"On the other hand, I am also ashamed and repent when I make such a mistake - and I apologize to the tennis world because I know that such behavior is not appropriate. I hope that Tsitsipas also realizes that it was a mistake and that he was very lucky," Djokovic concluded.
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