Novak Djokovic has played down the “bombatism” with his last Wimbledon opponent, Nick Kyrgio, but admits the pair have a better relationship now than ever.
Kyrgios made headlines during the ill-fated Adria Tour amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when he accused the Serb of being “bony” and called him a “tool” last year when Djokovic wrote to Australian Open organizers calling for relaxation of quarantine conditions. .
But Kyrgios strongly backed the Wimbledon champion in January, saying he was embarrassed by the treatment of Djokovic, who was detained by local authorities, released and then detained again before being deported ahead of the Australian Open. Kyrgios called their new relationship somewhat disgusting, but Djokovic played it down:
“I don’t know if I can call it a bromance yet, but we definitely have a better relationship than we probably had before January of this year. When it was very difficult for me in Australia, he was one of the few players who came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. This is something I really appreciate. So I respect him a lot for that.”
