Nick Kyrgios supports bid for Novak Djokovic’s 2023 Australian Open return, claims that the Serb is one of the reasons he plays tennis
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Australian No.1 singles player Nick Kyrgios has once again started the ‘bromance’ with 2022 Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic by supporting him in his fight to return to Australia, where he is debarred from entering for three years as a result of a lengthy deportation court battle this year.
Djokovic, who had entered Australia early this year claiming he had a medical exemption to compete in 2022 Australian Open despite not being vaccinated for COVID-19, was later deported. Interestingly, Kyrgios had supported the Serbian former World No.1 back then even when many other players had taken a neutral or opposite stance.
“I really hope he (Djokovic) is here for the sport, we want to see the best players in the world, me being a competitor, I want to see Novak there. He is some of the reason I play, hopefully, he is there,” said Kyrgios, who received a lot of flak in his country for supporting Djokovic earlier this year.
“He has had a rough run in the last 9 months and not being able to play here but play there and not play there, hopefully, Australia welcomes him with open arms this time,” Kyrgios added.
Novak Djokovic opens up on countless betrayals across controversy-ridden 2022, says “many masks have fallen”
Djokovic has had a particularly tough season in 2022 despite some successes. Firstly, he was booted out of Australia for his anti-vaccination stance despite first being allowed carrying an exemption from Tennis Australia to participate in the opening Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.
Later, the Serb had to pull out from the US Open because of similar vaccination criteria that he was unable to fulfill due to personal reasons. Recently, Djokovic opened up on the ordeal in an interview with Sportal saying many masks have fallen and he is learning how to deal with those kinds of people better from hereon.
“It was a very interesting year, peculiar,” Djokovic told the Serbian media outlet. “I always strive to draw positive things from whatever the experience is, that is part of my character and my approach to life. I know that everything that happened in Australia and afterwards – the way people have treated me, which did not feel nice and it is something I have never experienced before in my life – has helped me to learn some valuable lessons. Lessons about myself, about life and about the way I should move on in this world, especially in the tennis ecosystem.”
Also Read: “The King is back”-Tennis Twitter erupts as Rafael Nadal confirms to play in Paris and Turin
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Ashish Maggo
(191 Articles Published)