“Eager to see him play,” Novak Djokovic narrates how Nick Kyrgios’ image has flipped in Serbia since last year
Nick Kyrgios' efforts in helping Novak Djokovic during the tough times of 2022 has made the Australian a favorite of the Serbian community.
Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios
Novak Djokovic had a terrible start to the 2022 season. The federal quarantine in Melbourne and subsequent deportation was a big insult that he had to face. His only mistake was staying true to his principles and forcefully getting dragged into the political drama of Australia. The result, Djokovic’s deportation, and a three-year visa ban.
A few months later, the Australian government led by Scott Morrison was kicked out. Djokovic received his visa back and was welcomed in Australia. The same can’t be said about the Morrison government. While Australia was split into two halves during Djokovic’s case, he received support from the person he expected least.
Nick Kyrgios did not bring up his personal issues with Djokovic when speaking for his release from quarantine. It eventually cleared the bitterness between his relationship with the Serb and the two are now enjoying a ‘Bromance’. In the Nole’s latest interview with Sasa Ozmo for Tennis Majors, he talked about Kyrgios and Serbia’s perception of the Aussie.
“Ha ha, no, still no dinner, but Melbourne is going to be an opportunity to do that. As for the Serbia Open, considering that he was one of the very few people who stood by me and supported me in Australia, I think that people back home have changed their opinion about him in a positive way – many people are now eager to see him play.
“We are having conversations, we had them last year as well. We would love to have him there, I think that he would enjoy his time there and that he would have a lot of support. If he wants to, he is more than welcome,” said Djokovic.
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Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios’ practice match sells a full house
With the two players forming a new friendship, they confirmed it was a ‘Bromance’ at the 2022 Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic eventually had to beat Nick Kyrgios in the finals but that did not cause any rift between the two. Prior to the finals, Djokovic and Kyrgios had agreed on a deal where the winner would take the other one for a dinner.
Upon losing, Kyrgios had reminded the Serb of his deal. The 21-time Grand Slam title winner had said hopefully in New York but the plan failed as he was not granted entry in the USA. Since then, fans have been waiting for the two to give more moments to the fans. While the dinner question is now cleared, the two are already popular in tennis circles.
Ahead of their practice match for the 2023 Australian Open, Tennis Australia brought out the capitalists within them. The match’s tickets were put on sale and they sold out within an hour owing to the popularity of the two stars. The money raised will be used for charitable purposes by Tennis Australia however.
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