FirstSportz
  • eSports
  • F1
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • MMA
  • NASCAR
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Tennis
  • WWE
No Result
View All Result
  • eSports
  • F1
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • MMA
  • NASCAR
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Tennis
  • WWE
No Result
View All Result
FirstSportz
No Result
View All Result
Home Tennis

Novak Djokovic “fires” Goran Ivanisevic during exhibition match against Nick Kyrgios before the Australian Open

The Serbian won a point executing the advice of a fan in the stands which prompted him to pretend to fire his coach Goran Ivanisevic

by Samarth Srivastava
January 14, 2023
in Tennis
Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Goran Ivanisevic

Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Goran Ivanisevic

Novak Djokovic took the advice of a fan, followed it, and then won a rally against Nick Kyrgios at an exhibition match between the two. The point led Djokovic’s coach Goran Ivanisevic to jokingly say that he had been fired in front of 15,000 fans at the filled Rod Laver Arena. Ivanisevic also sarcastically said he was ready to fly back home after the match as he was now just a spectator.

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios were part of an exhibition match in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open. Djokovic walked to the baseline during the match and gestured for a fan to lean down and give him advice. He then followed it and won a point before pretending to fire his coach, who sat courtside.

Speaking on the point, Ivanisevic said a few games later,” Yeah, I lost my job in front of 15,000 people.” He also joked that he was now merely a spectator, saying,” I have a flight at 10:45, Emirates, so I am okay, just watch and go.” The Croatian, on being asked about becoming Kyrgios’ coach after his “firing” replied with,”I don’t think he needs a coach, he is a one and only.”

The match between Kyrgios and Djokovic was scheduled to be a practice match but was then made an “arena showdown” due to the interest shown by fans. This was the pair’s first match against each other since the 2022 Wimbledon final. The ‘fast four’ format meant different rules, which confused Djokovic and hilariously cost him a point.

The match played out in good spirits, with wheelchair stars David Wagner and Heath Davidson joining in for the deciding match tiebreak. Djokovic cherished the reception from the crowd as he played in Melbourne for the first time since last year’s deportation drama. He got nostalgic post-match as he remembered the first Grand Slam title of his career, the 2008 Australian Open. He thanked the fans for their warm welcome back.

Related: Novak Djokovic wants to be the best, he can do it at Australian Open

Nick Kyrgios defeats Novak Djokovic at exhibition match

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios
Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios

Nick Kyrgios got the better of World No.5 Novak Djokovic at the exhibition game. Playing his first match of 2023, Kyrgios seemed sharp and was full of his usual tricks. He won the match with some help at the end, 4-3 (5-3), 4-3, 10-9.

The match featured underarm serves, sledging, and plenty of brilliant aces from Kyrgios. Playing his first singles match in 98 days, Kyrgios looked in shape for competitive tennis. He had the Wimbledon final against Djokovic in mind as he said,” It’s a very special moment for me. I need some payback for Wimbledon – I haven’t slept since!”

Absolute chaos! 🤣

This match is turning into a hilarious spectacle 🎾😆

🖥️ LIVE: https://t.co/9vyCxMGchZ#Tennis #AusOpen🎾😆 pic.twitter.com/Qcr84n1qQQ

— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 13, 2023

Kyrgios needed the help of wheelchair tennis player David Wagner to secure the victory over Djokovic. Wagner and Heath Davidson joined the tiebreak to cheers from the crowd to cap off the match. The exhibition was for a noble cause, as all proceeds from the game went to charity. And it was certainly entertaining as the Melbourne crowd witnessed the two favorites for the Australian Open in action.

Incase you missed it:

Very emotional, says Rafael Nadal, as he reflects on 2022 Australian Open title.

Nick Kyrgios compares his relationship with Novak Djokovic to that of Federer and Nadal

Tags: Nick KyrgiosNovak Djokovic
Samarth Srivastava

Samarth Srivastava

Samarth is a tennis writer at FirstSportz. He is in camp Federer for the G.O.A.T debate and is also a fan of Carlos Alcaraz. He's an avid follower of sports and will be willing to debate about F1 just as readily as basketball.

Franco Morbidelli

Franco Morbidelli Net Worth, MotoGP Salary, Endorsements, Girlfriend and more

by Vihaan Sharma
January 27, 2023

Shannon Sharpe and Cincinnati Bengals (Image via YouTube and Bengals Wire)

Shannon Sharpe snubs the Chiefs, CONFIDENT the Bengals can defend the AFC Championship on Sunday

by Yash Karandekar
January 27, 2023

FIFA 23: How to complete the Kylian Mbappe POTM SBC

FIFA 23: How to complete the Kylian Mbappe POTM SBC

by Kusshal Mehta
January 27, 2023

Elena Rybakina and Maria Sharapova

Elena Rybakina handles questions on Russian-born Maria Sharapova with maturity

by Sarthak Shitole
January 27, 2023

FirstSportz-Logo-Light
FirstSportz is the First Stop for all sports fanatics. Starting in 2019, we initially covered Olympic Sports, but in 2021 we added every other sport which you might be looking for, like NFL, Golf, MLB, WWE Cricket, Football, Tennis, Esports, NBA, MMA and more.
DMCA.com Protection Status
  • About Us
  • Advertise at FirstSportz
  • Contact Us
  • Correction Policy
  • DMCA/Copyrights Disclaimer
  • Editorial Team
  • Ethics Policy
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • GDPR Compliance
  • Join Us
  • Ownership and Funding Information
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 by Firstsportz

No Result
View All Result
  • eSports
  • F1
  • Football
  • Golf
  • MLB
  • MMA
  • NASCAR
  • NBA
  • NFL
  • NHL
  • Tennis
  • WWE

© 2023 by Firstsportz

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy