Novak Djokovic has been on the receiving end of a barrage of criticism from Nick Kyrgios and revealed he doesn’t have ‘much respect’ for the Aussie.
Djokovic, the world No. 1 from Serbia admitted that the outspoken Kyrgios is ‘good for the sport’ and he has ‘respect for the tennis he’s playing’ but he is not a fan of the 25-year-old away from the court.
It’s an understandable position for Djokovic to hold. Kyrgios has been a public tormenter of the 17-time Grand Slam champion.
Kyrgios branded him a ‘tool’ after Djokovic, 33, made suggestions to Australian Open chief Craig Tiley for how to improve quarantine conditions for those who were stripped of their practice privileges after positive tests on charter flights into Melbourne, while he has previously labelled Djokovic as ‘cringeworthy’.
Asked directly about Kyrgios – who has vowed to keep calling the Serb out – calling him a ‘tool’ and his wider impact on the sport, Djokovic replied: ‘I think he’s good for the sport.
‘Obviously he’s someone that is different. He goes about his tennis, he goes about his off court things in his own authentic way.
‘I have respect for him. I have respect for everyone else really because everyone has a right and freedom to choose how they want to express themselves, what they want to do.
‘My respect goes to him for the tennis he’s playing. I think he’s very talented guy. He’s got a big game. He has proven that he has a quality to beat any player really in the world in the past.
‘Off the court, I don’t have much respect for him, to be honest. That’s where I’ll close it. I really don’t have any further comments for him, his own comments for me or anything else he’s trying to do.’
Eight-time Australian Open champion Djokovic, who will begin his title defence against Jeremy Chardy on Monday, is bidding to become just the second man in the Open Era, after French Open king Rafael Nadal, to win a single major on nine separate occasions.
‘Well, it’s a love affair. Probably something similar maybe not like Rafa has with the French Open, but I’ve been feeling more comfortable on the court each year that I’ve been coming back,’ said Djokovic.
‘I mean, the more you win, obviously the more confidence you have and the more pleasant you feel on the court. It just feels right. If you’re in the right state of mind, regardless of the surface, you have a better chance to play at your best.
‘When I stepped on the court this year for the first time in the practice session, I relived some of the memories from last year, also the other years that I won the tournament here.
‘Yeah, it just gives me great sensation, great feeling, confidence. It feels right. It feels like the place where I should be and where I have historically always been able to perform my best tennis. Hopefully can be another successful year.’
Fellow world No. 1 Ash Barty, meanwhile, made an astonishing return to action by claiming a title the week before the Australian Open.
Barty, 24, had not played competitive tennis since February but beat Garbine Muguruza 7-6 (7-3) 6-4 to win the Yarra Valley Classic.
‘Absolutely no regrets for me,’ she said of her extended break from the WTA Tour.
‘I felt like it’s been a challenging 12 months for everyone all across the world. Everyone has been in a very different, unique situation, depending on what country they’re in, even what state here in Australia.
‘I feel very fortunate to have had the year that I have had. Certainly none of my decisions have any regret. I made the right decisions for the right reasons. I enjoyed my time at home this year. There was nothing but positive vibes and good feelings coming out of the whole year for me.
‘Now I’m really happy to be back playing tennis with an opportunity to play in front of a crowd here at the Australian Open. It’s really special.’
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