‘It’s not right’: Nick Kyrgios slams Novak Djokovic’s ‘inhumane’ treatment

Nick Kyrgios has often been critical of Novak Djokovic in the past but the Aussie star has opened up in depth on the current ongoing saga.

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has expanded on his take on the Novak Djokovic saga, saying he feels sorry for the World No. 1.

Kyrgios has been an outspoken critic of Djokovic in the past, particularly regarding the World No. 1’s Adria Tour Covid debacle in 2020, but has continued to speak out about his treatment.

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Having teased his first statement when asked on Twitter about his opinions, Kyrgios tweeted that “how we are handling Novak’s situation is bad, really bad” and called for Australia to “do better”.

He also spoke to reporters on Saturday and reiterated his comments that it was “not humane” how he was being treated.

The Djokovic saga has dominated the tennis world over the past few months after the Serbian star refused to reveal his vaccination status.

But an Instagram post in which he said he had received “exemption permission” quickly spiralled into an international incident as Djokovic’s visa was denied at the border.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed Djokovic didn’t have a medical exemption from vaccine requirements and the Serbian star now sits in hotel detention as he awaits his day in court on Monday.

But Kyrgios has doubled down in a long form discussion on his No Boundaries podcast with his friends Alex Babanine and James Frawley.

Kyrgios said Djokovic’s vaccine hesitancy is unsurprising as throughout his career, he has leaned towards more natural remedies.

Nick Kyrgios has opened up on the Novak Djokovic saga. Picture: YouTube

Kyrgios said his phone had been “blowing up” before he made a comment on Twitter and that he was exhausted by the process, and could only imagine how Djokovic felt.

“I wasn’t even in the situation and I was exhausted,” he said. “As a fellow athlete, and we all know how much Novak carries and how much pressure he deals with on a day-to-day basis, I can only imagine how his life is.

“But as a fellow athlete, I’m just feeling for him. Whether it’s right or wrong and there’s so much going on and politics behind it all, he’s a human at the end of the day and everything he’s dealing with at the moment – the memes, the headlines – I kind of feel sorry for him, that’s where I stand at the moment. I don’t think this is the right way to go about it.”

Kyrgios said he believed some people who had made mistakes on their visas have been afforded the time to get it right, but “because it’s Novak, we’re almost going a step further to punish him in a sense”.

It’s similar to what the Serbian government said when Djokovic had been “lured to Australia to be humiliated”.

Kyrgios also pointed out that Djokovic’s medical exemption had gone through two independent medical boards.

Djokovic has been held for days in a notorious detention hotel. Picture: David Gray / AFP

It has seen plenty of reaction to Tennis Australia (TA), the Victorian government and Federal government are all trying to shirk responsibility for the bumbling sequence of events that saw the world’s best male tennis player turned away at the gates when he thought he had every right to be here.

“He’s a human, I just don’t think how we’re going about it is the right way and that’s coming from someone who we’ve had run in and comments about each other, but it’s not right,” Kyrgios said.

He added that he could have been “milking it for the publicity” but chose to speak his mind.

Kyrgios questioned whether the reaction would be so fierce if Australia had dealt with the pandemic in a way which didn’t see Victorians in particular locked down for so long.

Co-host and Victorian Babanine said: “If we hadn’t been locked down for as long as we did in Victoria, I don’t think people would be standing up as much because I think people would be like ‘we didn’t have it as bad as we did’.

“For those people (who were locked down), for sure they have a right to be pretty annoyed thinking that ‘just because I’m a tennis player and I chase yellow furry balls around the court and I’ve made X amount of money’ … I think that is wrong.

“Where I kind of sit, if he’s done all he can do and been told by everyone around him ‘yes, come play, you’re fine’ then I have problems with the administration side of things.”

He added that if reports that Djokovic got details wrong or even falsified visa documentation, “then it’s kind of on you Novak”.

Kyrgios understand both sides. Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

Kyrgios said that was what he had been thinking as well.

“We were told at the start, there were going to be consequences either way, if you were vaccinated, weren’t vaccinated, all that type of stuff,” Kyrgios said. “But I feel now, what he’s done for our sport, he’s a very special athlete.

“The one thing that p***es me off about the media is that we need to protect these athletes. What he’s going through is quite serious right now. What I’m p***ed off about is the media is so quick to jump on it.

“I go on social media right now and I see so many people and page ridiculing him. I think we should be protecting the guy a little bit more rather than … we’re just making fun, it’s so f***ed.”

He said he feels like the media needs to “calm the f*** down”.

Kyrgios said his comments weren’t siding with Djokovic, rather just reacting to the situation.

“The guy’s a human, I just want him to be treated like a human,” he said. “If a fellow Aussie was in Serbia and they were in a similar state, would we want one of our fellow Australians to be treated like this? No.”

Protests have been held in Melbourne and Serbia. Picture: Oliver Bunic / AFP

He added: “It isn’t right to allow these people into our country unvaccinated after everything our nation as a whole has gone through.”

But Kyrgios said Djokovic is more than just a regular person, having won 20 Grand Slam titles as well as sharing his wealth.

He pointed to Djokovic’s philanthropic endeavours, including a $25,000 donation to the Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund after the 2020 Bushfire Appeal.

He also announced the ATP’s $725,000 donation at the time alongside Rafael Nadal.

“Most of the normal people talking s**t didn’t do s**t for the bushfires,” Kyrgios said.

“I’m sure some of these people that sit on their f***ing couches and comment all day, if they were in his position, wouldn’t back (it) at all.

“To put this to bed, I just hope it gets sorted out because it’s ridiculous at the moment.”

A question was also asked over whether or not Djokovic could also just quarantine for seven days, which is what Covid-positive Australians have to do at the moment.

And if Djokovic is allowed to play at the Australian Open, Kyrgios said he was worried for who draws him first.

“He’s going to be f***ing angry,” Kyrgios said. “If he’s allowed to play, he’s going to be angry and he’s going to be a tough mother****er to beat. If he’s able to play, I don’t want to verse him. He won’t miss a backhand.

“Being loved is great but the villain energy is different. I don’t want to play him bro. I fear for the man who draws him first round – you’re getting bread sticks bro.”

Kyrgios and Djokovic at odds

Kyrgios said nine-time Australian Open champ Djokovic is a different beast. Picture: Michael Klein

Kyrgios has been an outspoken critic of Djokovic and the other players who played in the ill-fated Adria Tour in 2020 where Croatia’s Borna Coric, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and Viktor Troicki, as well as Djokovic and his family, tested positive for Covid after the players were seen partying and exercising no social distancing or regard for medical advice.

The World No. 1 initially expressed his regret but was widely slammed.

Kyrgios was one of the biggest names to blast the players for staging the tournament.

“Boneheaded decision to go ahead with the ‘exhibition’ speedy recovery fellas, but that’s what happens when you disregard all protocols. This IS NOT A JOKE,” he said at the time.

After Djokovic apologised, Kyrgios replied: “Scary that people take zero ownership. Group of albatrosses.”

Then after tennis stars, including Djokovic complained about quarantining for the 2021 Australian Open, Kyrgios called the Serbian a “tool”.

But the Aussie star appeared to change his tune in recent months.

Kyrgios said in November that he believed the Australian Open should be scrapped altogether.

“I don’t think the Aus Open should go ahead, just for the people in Melbourne – you’ve got to send a message,” Kyrgios said on his No Boundaries Podcast.

“How long did (Melbourne) do in lockdown? 275 days or something?”

But he added that it was “morally wrong” to force people like Djokovic to get vaccinated against Covid.