Nick Kyrgios Accuses Novak Djokovic of Faking Injury to Mess with His Opponents

Novak Djokovic is aiming to win his second title of the season at Wimbledon following the Geneva Open.

Nick Kyrgios Accuses Novak Djokovic of Faking Injury to Mess with His Opponents

Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios (Image via X/Sportal.rs, US Open Tennis)

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Nick Kyrgios is convinced that Novak Djokovic sometimes takes medical timeouts for tactics reasons. The Serb is at Wimbledon, chasing his eighth title, and has breezed past Dan Evans in the second round.

Before this year, he made it to the finals of every Wimbledon since 2018, losing only in 2023 and 2024, to Carlos Alcaraz. The last time he tasted success in the grass-court Major was in 2022 by going past Kyrgios in four sets.

Kyrgios has played Djokovic thrice and holds a 2-1 edge. The Aussie, however, is not playing in the ongoing event due to fitness issues. During an episode of Wimbledon Unfiltered with Nick Kyrgios on talkSPORT, the 30-year-old talked about Djokovic’s injury issues during Grand Slam matches.

Honestly, I think that he does it sometimes early on in Slams to mess with his opponents, to be honest. There’s no doubt that sometimes he’s definitely carrying something or feeling something, we all do. But with Djokovic, he likes the theatrics.

Djokovic had called for doctors twice during his first-round match against Alexandre Muller. When asked about it later, he said a stomach bug could be the reason, and the doctor’s “miracle pills” helped him recover from it.

All of a sudden, he just dials back in and destroys you. It just gets your opponent thinking about something else, instead of thinking internally what he needs to do, now he’s thinking about Djokovic feeling his stomach or something else.

Nick Kyrgios added

Kyrgios has played four tournaments this season and did not register his first win before the Miami Open. He was last seen in action in the second round of the Miami Open he played against Karen Khachanov.

Jim Courier says Wimbledon is the best chance for Novak Djokovic to win a Major

Novak Djokovic last lifted a Major at the 2023 US Open and since then, the only time he reached a Grand Slam final was in last year’s Wimbledon. The Belgrade native is second on the list of players with the most Wimbledon titles after Roger Federer (eight).

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic (Image via X/TNT Sports)

After the Australian Open (won 10 titles), Djokovic has lifted the most Majors at Wimbledon. Amid the ongoing tournament, Jim Courier, during the Tennis Channel Live Podcast gave his take on whether Wimbledon is the last chance for the 38-year-old to win his historic 25th Major.

I would strike the word last from there. I would say this is his best chance because he is not getting any younger and Wimbledon is a surface he is more adept at than anybody else comparatively. He is so at home on this surface, [Jannik] Sinner is trying to get there, [Carlos] Alcaraz is already, but he is on the other side of the draw.

Djokovic is projected to lock horns with Sinner in the semifinals and Alcaraz in the final. In the two Majors before Wimbledon this year, Djokovic handed a walkover to Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the Australian Open due to injury issues. At the French Open then, the 24-time Grand Slam champion lost in straight sets to Sinner.

Novak Djokovic to face Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round

After sailing past Evans, Djokovic scheduled a third-round clash with compatriot Miomir Kecmanovic, who he will meet for the second time at Wimbledon following the 2022 season. Before Djokovic, the 25-year-old knocked out Jesper De Jong in the second round.

Novak Djokovic (X/Wimbledon)
Novak Djokovic (X/Wimbledon)

Kecmanovic has met Nole thrice but lost all the matches. He has never progressed beyond the third round of the grass-court Major, reaching the stage in 2022 and 2024 before this year. The World No.49 produced his best Grand Slam performance in the 2022 and 2024 Australian Open by reaching the fourth round.

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