"Novak Djokovic has a sick obsession...He wants to be like Roger Federer" - When Nick Kyrgios launched attack on Serb for 'cringeworthy' behavior
Nick Kyrgios may now have a friendly relationship with Novak Djokovic, but that wasn’t always the case. At one point, the Aussie harshly criticized the Serb, accusing him of trying too hard to emulate Roger Federer in an attempt to win people’s approval.
Kyrgios made these remarks in 2019, ahead of the French Open during an appearance on journalist Ben Rothenberg's No Challenges Remaining podcast. While he slammed several players, including Rafael Nadal and Fernando Verdasco, he saved his sharpest critique for Djokovic.
The Aussie called Djokovic's habit of blowing kisses to the crowd after wins "cringeworthy." He also took a dig at the Serb for pulling out of the Australian Open due to heat, possibly referring to his mid-match retirement during the 2009 quarterfinal against Andy Roddick.
"I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked," Nick Kyrgios said. "He just wants to be like Roger (Federer). For me personally - I don’t care right now, I’ve come this far - I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him."
"This whole celebration thing (blowing kisses to the crowd) that he does after matches, it’s like so cringeworthy. It’s very cringeworthy," he added.
The 29-year-old continued:
"He’s an unbelievable player, he’s a champion of the sport; one of the greatest we’ll ever see. He probably will, honestly, I reckon he will get the Grand Slam count, I reckon he will overpass Federer."
"(But) we’re talking about a guy who pulled out of the Australian Open one year because it was too hot," he added.
"No matter how many Grand Slams Novak Djokovic wins, he will never be the greatest for me" - Nick Kyrgios
During his appearance on the No Challenges Remaining podcast, Nick Kyrgios said, in his eyes, Novak Djokovic could never be the "greatest," regardless of his achievements or the number of Grand Slams he wins. The Serb has since set a record in the Open Era with 24 Majors.
"No matter how many grand slams he wins, he will never be the greatest for me," the Aussie said.
Kyrgios further criticized Djokovic by pointing to their head-to-head record, which at the time was 2-0 in his favor (now 2-1 after the latter's Wimbledon win in 2022). The Aussie remarked that since the Belgrade native couldn’t beat him despite working twice as hard, he didn’t consider him worthy of the greatest title.
"Simply because, I’ve played him twice and like, I’m sorry, but if you can’t beat me, you’re not the greatest of all time. Because if you like look at my day-to-day routine and how much I train and how much I put in, it’s zero compared to him," Kyrgios said.
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic have mended their relationship and are now close friends. Kyrgios notably stood by Djokovic during his controversial deportation from Australia in 2022 over his vaccination status. Since then, the Aussie has frequently referred to the 38-year-old as the GOAT, praising his achievements and legacy.