Foes to ‘weird’ bromance: Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic promise fireworks in Wimbledon final

The World No.3 has never beaten the Australian, who says the lack of support from legends is ‘sad’.

In their two meetings, Novak Djokovic has failed to take a set off Nick Kyrgios. Pictured: the pair in Mexico in 2017. Picture: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic has set the scene for Sunday’s Wimbledon final against Nick Kyrgios by saying: “One thing’s for sure – there’s going to be a lot of fireworks emotionally.”

Kyrgios reckons the sport’s two biggest villains have struck up a bond after he supported Djokovic during the Serb’s Australian Open deportation ordeal in January. Previously, they were bitter rivals, trading insults at regular intervals.

“We definitely have a bit of a bromance now. Which is weird,” Kyrgios says. “I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there. I think it was healthy for the sport. I think every time we played each other, there was hype around it. It was interesting for the media, the people watching, all that. I felt like I was almost the only kind of player and someone to stand up for him with all the drama at the Australian Open. I feel like that’s where respect is kind of earned. Not on the tennis court, but I feel like when a real-life crisis is happening and someone stands up for you - we actually message each other on DMs in Instagram now and stuff. It’s real weird. Actually, like, earlier in the week, he was like, ‘Hopefully I’ll see you Sunday’.”

Nick Kyrgios says the change in his relationship with Novak Djokovic is ‘weird’. Picture: Getty Images

Novak Djokovic expects ‘fireworks’ in the final. Picture: Getty Images

Bromance? Djokovic doesn’t go that far. “I don’t know if I can call it a bromance yet but we definitely have a better relationship than what it was probably prior to January this year,” he says. “But when it was really tough for me in Australia, he was one of the very few players that came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. That’s something I truly appreciate. So I respect him for that a lot. It’s going to be his first grand slam singles final. He’s very excited and doesn’t have much to lose.”

Zero-times major champion Kyrgios has a bizarre 2-0 head-to-head record over 20-times major champion Djokovic. Not only is he unbeaten against one of the greatest players in history, he hasn’t lost a set. “We haven’t played for some time,” Djokovic says. “Never won a set off him, so hopefully it can be different this time. It’s another final for me at Wimbledon, the tournament that I love so much, so hopefully the experience can work in my favour.”

Novak Djokovic is the strong favourite to clinch another Wimbledon title. Picture: Getty Images

Kyrgios has received a dream draw through to the final. Stefanos Tsitsipas was the only big name in his path before the semi-finals – and then Rafael Nadal called in sick. He’s been sleeping poorly and the bookmakers have him as a $5 outsider but that’s a ridiculous market. He’s a superb grasscourter and if he keeps his head straight – there’s an if! – he’s every chance of winning.

“The one thing for sure, whether I win or lose on Sunday, I’m going to be happy,” he says. “It’s such a great achievement that I thought I’d never be a part of. Especially at 27, I feel this is the latter stages of my career. I just never thought it would be right here. I have a chance.”

He adds: “I had a shocking sleep last night, to be honest. I probably got an hour’s sleep just with everything, like the excitement. I had so much anxiety, I was already feeling so nervous, and I don’t feel nervous usually. I just know there’s a lot of people that want me to do well and give my best. You just have to ride the waves, roll with the punches in a grand slam. There’s definitely times where I hate this sport, but there are times where I think I’m one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met. I just love competing. I just love going up against someone, and I love just the winning and losing aspect of sport in general. So I don’t know if that will ever change.”

Kyrgios reckons a whole lot of people are on his side – with the exception of past Australian players, led by 1986 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, who hasn’t held back in his assessments of Kyrgios’s on-court behaviour.

Nick Kyrgios says the lack of support from Australian legends ‘sucks’. Picture: Getty Images

“They haven’t always been the nicest to me personally,” he says. “They haven’t always been supportive. They haven’t been supportive these two weeks. So it’s hard for me to kind of read things that they say about me. For instance, when I saw Ash Barty in the final of Australia, I was nothing but happy. I would never say a bad word about an Australian making a final. That’s just me.”

He adds: “The only great that’s ever been supportive of me the whole time has been Lleyton Hewitt. He’s our Davis Cup captain and he kind of knows that I kind of do my own thing. I’m definitely the outcast of the Australian players. He knows to kind of keep his distance and just let me do me. He just sends me a message here or there, ‘Keep going’. That’s literally it. Just, ‘Well done. Keep going.’ It’s pretty sad because I don’t get any support from any of the other Australian tennis players, the male side. Not the players, but like the past greats. It’s weird. They just have a sick obsession with tearing me down for some reason. I just don’t know whether they don’t like me or they’re afraid. I don’t know what it is but it sucks.”

Originally published as Foes to ‘weird’ bromance: Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic promise fireworks in Wimbledon final