MY ACCOUNT
Novak Djokovic will be “p***ed off” and more determined than ever to win the Australian Open if he is freed from detention on Monday, according to Nick Kyrgios.
The nine-time champion at Melbourne Park had his visa revoked when he arrived in Australia this week, with Border Force officials determining he had “failed to provide appropriate evidence to meet the entry requirements”.
He secured an injunction to avoid immediate deportation on Thursday and is spending the weekend at the Park Hotel, also home to refugees and asylum seekers, before his case is heard in court on Monday.
His lawyers have filed a detailed response and called for Djokovic to be liberated, also revealing the 34-year-old Serbian tested positive for COVID-19 on December 16 and has made a full recovery.
Djokovic has a startling 82-8 win-loss career record at the Australian Open and has earned $21,775,855 (US dollars) for his endeavours at the first grand slam of the tennis season.
Should he be cleared to play this time, and successfully defend his title, it would make him the outright leader for men’s grand slam titles with 21, nudging him ahead of Rafael Nadal, who is also set to compete, and Roger Federer, who is absent.
Kyrgios has been a fierce critic of Djokovic in the past, but the Australian firebrand this week said the handling of the Belgrade superstar’s case had been “really bad” and those taking satisfaction from his situation should “do better”.
Having aired those views on social media, Kyrgios expanded on his thoughts in a news conference on Saturday, saying: “For the sport, we need him here.
“I’m feeling for him now, it’s not really humane what’s going on. If he’s allowed to play the Australian Open, I don’t want any bar of him. I reckon he’s going to be p***ed off.
“He’s going to be very determined to play well and stick it to everyone. And I don’t want any bar of that Novak.”
Kyrgios claimed media coverage of his comments about Djokovic has “divided us”, stating his past remarks have been “blown out of proportion”.
In January 2021, Kyrgios described Djokovic as “a tool” after reports he was seeking privileged quarantine restrictions ahead of last year’s Australian Open.
Speaking to the No Challenges Remain podcast in 2019, Kyrgios said of Djokovic: “I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger [Federer].”
There has been obvious animosity in the past, but this time around Kyrgios is siding with Djokovic. He wants there to be a greater respect shown by Australia towards the world number one.
“I feel he’s helped us as well. Like during the bushfires, he was supportive, he was helping us out,” Kyrgios said.
“I feel like I could use this as a publicity stunt. I could just agree with the general person and say, ‘Yeah, this isn’t good’, and use it. But I don’t think that’s right.”
