Ahead of the Wimbledon men’s final, Kyrgios has gone so far as to call it a “bromance” – although Djokovic thinks that’s pushing it. “We definitely have a bit of a bonanza now, which is strange,” said Kyrgios, a talented and jovial Australian in his first Grand Slam final. “Everybody knows there was no love lost for a while there. I think it was healthy for the sport.” Speaking ahead of the final, Kyrgios added: “We’re actually DMing each other on Instagram now and stuff, it’s really weird. Actually, earlier in the week, it was like, ‘I hope to see you on Sunday.’ Djokovic smiled when Kyrgios’ comments were made to him. “I don’t know if I can call it a bonanza, but we certainly have a better relationship than we probably had before January of this year,” he said. The thaw in their relationship began when Kyrgios was among the few people to defend Djokovic when the 20-time Grand Slam champion was arrested in Australia during the row over his vaccination status – and eventually deported from the country. “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,” said Djokovic, who is hoping to win his seventh title at the All England Club. “That’s something I really appreciate. So I have a lot of respect for him for that.” Image: Novak Djokovic is a 20-time Grand Slam champion In 2019, Kyrgios called Djokovic “creepy”, saying the Serbian former world No 1 was obsessed with being liked. He also said Djokovic was a player who rubs him “the wrong way”. Djokovic said at the time that while he respected Kyrgios’ talent on a tennis court, he did not respect him off the court. Image: Stefanos Tsitsipas (L) and Nikos Kyrgios have had a public spat in the last fortnight Now the pair have been exchanging friendly messages on social media, including jokingly planning to have dinner together after the final. In an Instagram exchange, Kyrgios asked: “Are we friends now?” “If you invite me for drinks or dinner, I accept. Tomorrow’s PS winner pays,” Djokovic replied. Kyrgios replied: “Insult, let’s go to a nightclub to get crazy.”
