"Typical idiotic question" - Nick Kyrgios comes to Novak Djokovic's defense after reporter asks about 'intense' interaction with his team
Nick Kyrgios recently came to the defense of his good friend Novak Djokovic after a reporter questioned him about his 'intense' interaction with his team.
Djokovic comfortably advanced to the 2023 US Open semifinals on Tuesday (September 5), overcoming both the scorching heat and Taylor Fritz with a commanding performance to secure a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 victory.
This win keeps him firmly on the track to potentially clinch his fourth US Open title, a feat that would place him on a par with Margaret Court's remarkable record of 24 Grand Slam singles victories.
Novak Djokovic attended a press conference following his victory, and a reporter asked the Serb to elaborate on him being difficult to be around his team and getting pretty 'intense' behind the scenes.
"After some of your slam victories in the past, you have thanked your team for kind of putting up with you for a couple of weeks because you can be difficult to be around. Wondered if you could just elaborate. But you can get pretty intense behind the scenes," the reporter asked.
The Serb handled the question with ease, saying that it's not just him who is difficult to be around when playing at the highest level, as all athletes encounter their fair share of challenges along the way.
"Yeah, I can be difficult, but who is not, again? I don't know the player playing on the highest level that is, you know, easygoing and, you know, everything is, so to say, flowers and music, you know, (smiling). It has to be challenging for everyone, for the player and for the coaching staff, otherwise, there is no growth," he said.
Following this, Nick Kyrgios defended the 36-year-old, writing on X (formerly Twitter):
"Typical idiotic question. The guy is arguably the greatest athlete of all time. Clearly has never been in competition of a decent level in his life."
Novak Djokovic will face Ben Shelton in the semifinals of the US Open
Novak Djokovic will face Ben Shelton in the semifinals on Saturday (September 9), who has kept the American dream alive at his home Slam. The duo has never met before on the tour, so their head-to-head record is an even 0-0.
Shelton advanced to his first Major semifinal by defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals. The unseeded player defeated the No.10 seed at Arthur Ashe Stadium, winning 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2.