Nick Kyrgios’ Covid fight ahead of Australian Open: ‘Like smoking eight packs a day’
As Nick Kyrgios jets into Melbourne, he has lifted the lid on his battle with Covid, admitting he is struggling to get his body right for the Australian Open.
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Nick Kyrgios has described having Covid as feeling like he’d been “smoking eight packs (of cigarettes) a day” and revealed Novak Djokovic has reached out to him.
The Australian landed in Melbourne on Sunday ahead of his opening round clash on Tuesday having spent the last seven days in isolation after testing positive last week.
Kyrgios, speaking on his podcast and earlier on Instagram said the virus had “f****d me up”.
Kyrgios also weighed into the Djokovic visa saga saying the world No 1 had reached out to him on social media to thank him for his public defence.
“We’re treating him like he’s a weapon of mass destruction at the moment,” he said. “Literally he is here to play tennis.
“The mistreating of the people of Melbourne over the past two years has been atrocious, and I understand the anger towards him being unvaccinated and the medical exemption, I understand that. Now I feel like the people, no matter what Novak does, they’re just going to say ‘get him out of our country’.
“He’s not doing anything to anyone, he just wants to come here and play the Australian Open and I think it’s very important for him to be here and play the Australian Open for the people. We want sport.
“The media has borderline ruined the Australian Open, divided everyone and it’s not what sport’s supposed to do.”
Kyrgios and Djokovic have had a tumultuous history, but the Aussie insists they are now “brothers”
“It’s just a s***show,” he said. “I’m waking up and it’s just reading the media and there’s something new every day. I feel like we’re just trying to fight things that aren’t right, it’s not about the vaccination any more, it’s just about him not being here on the right visa or his visa being cancelled.
“I feel like if it’s not that, it’s something else. I just think it’s crazy. I feel so sorry for him. Preparing for an Australian Open or grand slam is enough for someone and the pressures that he has are so unique, he’s going for 21 slams, being Novak Djokovic preparing is already enough, and I feel with dealing with the media, already having a court case, winning that, and now being detained again from that, still trying to practice, still trying to prepare and now his visa’s cancelled.
“It’s an absolute s***show. How we deal with this stuff is just embarrassing.
“Me and Novak have a bromance now, he’s back in detention and it’s f****d. We are boys now.
“I can’t wait til the Aussie summer is over and we can play ball. The party after Melbourne is gonna be f***ing nuts. I’ll rent a house and just go f***ing nuts.”
Kyrgios will start his campaign against a qualifier, but faces a nightmare possible second round match against second seed Daniil Medvedev.
Meanwhile, Djokovic formally requested a testimonial from his doctors in Serbia to dispel claims his Covid diagnosis had been faked and warned the Immigration Minister that deporting him risked Australia losing the Australian Open as a coveted grand slam event.
The Federal Court released 268 pages of documents on Saturday morning which reveal the Immigration Minister Alex Hawke has conceded defeat on the medical exemption debate, but wants to deport the world No.1 tennis star on grounds of “public interest” in that it would be a “risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community.”
Djokovic’s lawyers also claim a second attempt to deport the world’s best player could “jeopardise the viability” of Australia retaining the Australian Open grand slam event.
“Mr Djokovic poses no risk to public health and safety. He has also made no attempt to contravene any laws of Australia. He is a person of good standing, and a diplomat of the nation of Serbia,” lawyers wrote to the Minister on January 11.
“In addition to being the best tennis player in the world, he is known for his philanthropic efforts, including his generous donations towards coronavirus relief as well as towards Australian bushfire relief.
“There are several matters that would go against the public interest if the Australian Government were to make a second attempt to cancel Mr Djokovic’s visa.
“First, that action would be likely to (further) adversely affect Australia’s global reputation, and call into question Australia’s border security principles and policies — and indeed the rule of law in Australia generally.
“Secondly, that action would prejudice Australian economic interests, and jeopardise the viability of Australia continuing to host this prestigious, international sporting event.”
Then on January 12 Djokovic’s lawyers provided the Immigration Minister with a sworn statement from the Acting Director of the Institute of Public Health Serbia Associate Professor Verica Jovanovic to confirm his test results were indeed legitimate.
At the time, German cyber sleuths for Der Spiegel had claimed the data records of the QR codes attached to his PCR tests on December 16 and December 22 did not numerically make sense.
They alleged the positive test was more likely to have been returned on December 26, not December 16.
Djokovic made a “formal request” for a testimonial to be submitted from the medical professional who diagnosed him last month.
“We hereby confirm that the test results presented by Mr. Novak Djokovic are legitimate,” Prof Jovanovic wrote in her statement.
“Novak Djokovic’s positive test was sampled at 13:05:12 on December l6th 2021 and the subsequent negative result was sampled at 14:12:10 on December 22nd 2021.
“Our testing system is reliable, accurate and the test results of Mr. Novak Djokovic are legitimate.”
Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who is tied with Djokovic on 20 grand slam wins, said the Australian Open was bigger than one player.
“I tell you one thing, it’s very clear that Novak Djokovic is one of the best players of the history, without a doubt.” Nadal said on Saturday.
But there is no one player in history that’s more important than an event, no?
“The players stays and then goes, and other players are coming.
“No one, even Roger, Novak, myself, Bjorn Borg who was amazing at his times, tennis keeps going.
“Australian Open is much more important than any player. If he’s playing finally, okay. If he’s not playing, Australian Open will be great Australian Open with or without him.”
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