Nick Kyrgios makes his feelings known on burying the hatchet with Casper Ruud at WTL
Nick Kyrgios buried the hatchet with Casper Ruud at the ongoing World Tennis League. The duo joined forces for doubles action at the exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi.
Kyrgios and Ruud, part of Team Kites, paired up on Saturday against Hawks' Jordan Thompson and Sumit Nagal. Online users were surprised by the pairing, given their history of jibes and harsh remarks with each other on and off the court.
One fan on X (formerly Twitter) opined that Kyrgios was the kind of person who would trash-talk someone online but give in on seeing them in person. Reacting to this remark, Kyrgios emphasized how people "grow up and change" over time while acknowledging that he and Ruud had been on "horrible terms" with each other in the past. Kyrgios wrote:
"Also - Casper and I have had a lot of chats within the last couple years. We were definitely on horrible terms but people grow up and change. As Casper said tonight as rivals we weren’t expecting it lol,"
All this came after Kyrgios took to Instagram to convey his "pleasure" at playing alongside Ruud. Following the duo's win, Kyrgios also reflected on how things have changed in their friendship. Kyrgios wrote:
"Funny how things do a 360 - what we calling this duo @casperruud absolute pleasure playing alongside you"
Casper Ruud reacted to the post, commenting:
"Fire & Ice"
Kyrgios and Ruud registered a 6-4 win in their tie. However, the Kites lost the match 17-20 to the Hawks, thus failing to secure a spot in the final.
Timeline of feud between Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud: From 2019 Italian Open to 2021 ATP 250 event
Nick Kyrgios' dispute with Casper Ruud started at the 2019 Italian Open when the two faced each other in the second round. The Australian was disqualified after angrily throwing a chair on the court.
Ruud labeled Kyrgios an "idiot" for his antics. The Aussie reacted by saying he would prefer to "watch paint dry than watch Ruud play tennis." He also challenged the Norwegian to say it directly if he were to make such remarks ever again.
The feud deepened two years later when ATP released the semifinal line-up of the Generali Open, which included Casper Ruud. Kyrgios reacted to the line-up with a "person facepalming" emoji, seemingly suggesting that the Norwegian did not earn his spot.
Ruud responded through a post on social media, in which he mocked Kyrgios by asking about his favorite clay court tournament. This did not sit well with the Aussie who posted a comment that he took down a few minutes later.
Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud faced each other on two ocassions on the tour. Apart from the Italian Open, they met at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters where Kyrgios secured a straight sets win 6-4, 6-4 in the third round.