Surprise Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic bromance may not survive Wimbledon final

The new “bromance”, as Kyrgios described it on Friday, was evident when they crossed paths at the Aorangi Park practice facility yesterday (Saturday). “It took you five years to say something nice about me,” a smiling Djokovic shouted while he stood on court during a rest between drills.

Kyrgios laughed, before making a reference to his backing of Djokovic during the Australian deportation saga earlier this year. “I defended you when it mattered,” he said, to which Djokovic replied, with genuine sincerity: “You did. I appreciate that.”

It almost beggars belief to see Kyrgios and Djokovic so friendly with each other. The comments that the Australian bad boy made to the No Challenges Remaining podcast in May 2019 were so damning that it was hard to see how there could ever be a reconciliation. “I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked,” Kyrgios said back then. “He just wants to be like Roger [Federer]. I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him.

“This whole celebration thing that he does after matches [in which Djokovic cups his hands from his heart towards all four corners of the stadium], it’s so cringeworthy. Djokovic just rubs me the wrong way, always says what feels like he needs to say and never speaks his opinion.”

The turning point came in January, when Djokovic took a pasting from the Australian public for entering the country on a medical exemption from a Covid-19 vaccine – he was eventually deported on “health and good order” grounds. Rarely one to jump on a bandwagon, Kyrgios decided to publicly rail against the government for treating Djokovic “like a weapon of mass destruction”. Friendly direct messages have since been exchanged by the pair through social media.

Whether the ceasefire holds in the pressure cooker of Centre Court today (Sunday) remains to be seen. Djokovic told us all on Friday to expect “fireworks” in this battle between players with a history of misbehaviour on the court. At the 2020 US Open, Djokovic was defaulted for accidentally hitting a ball in frustration into the throat of a line judge, while Kyrgios suffered the same fate a year before at the Italian Open when he threw a chair in rage and walked off the court.

By his usual standards, Kyrgios, 27, has been relatively well behaved for most of this fortnight and for the most part has let his tennis do the talking. However, no one is quite sure how he will handle his first appearance in a grand-slam singles final, with the chance to become the first male major winner from Australia since Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2002.

“It seems like mentally he’s at a better state than where he was some years ago,” Djokovic said. “As time passes by, you’re maturing, you’re understanding what you need to do in order to get yourself to the best possible optimal state of mind, body and soul in order to perform your best.

“These are the occasions which he loves and where he thrives on a big stage. Honestly, as a tennis fan, I’m glad that he’s in the final, because he’s got so much talent. Everyone was praising him when he came on the tour, expecting great things from him.

“Of course, then we know what was happening throughout many years with him mentally and emotionally. A lot of things were distracting him and he was not able to get this consistency. For the quality player that he is, this is where he needs and deserves to be.”

The tactical battle between the serve of Kyrgios and the return of Djokovic will be fascinating. Djokovic is one of the greatest returners the sport has seen, yet has had difficulty reading the Kyrgios serve, which can reach speeds of up to 143mph. In their two previous meetings on hard courts in 2017, Kyrgios won both in straight sets and only faced one break point.

“His motion for the serve is so fluid and quick,” Djokovic said. “He can hit any angle. He tosses it forward so he can come in to serve and volley. He puts himself in a great position to be aggressive or to stay back. But he’s always one metre in front of the baseline. On grass, I would assume it’s even tougher to read. I hope I can be at the desired level, then it’s a mental game, as to who stays tougher and calmer.”

This is where pressure could play a part. Djokovic, 35, has the opportunity to win a 21st grand-slam title, moving one ahead of Roger Federer and one behind Rafael Nadal. But this could be it for another 11 months as he cannot enter America for the US Open because of his unvaccinated status, and is also subject to a ban on travelling to the Australian Open because of a three-year visa suspension. That leaves the 2023 French Open as the next major tournament on his schedule.

“Every match, every grand-slam that I play, there is a lot on the line,” Djokovic said. “The experience that I have at this level, playing in the final against someone who has never played a grand-slam final, could be in my favour. But he doesn’t seem to be falling under much pressure. He plays lights out every time.”

– The Sunday Times

Originally published as Surprise Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic bromance may not survive Wimbledon final