Nick Kyrgios jokes about playing doubles with Novak Djokovic after forming 'bromance' at 2022 Australian Open
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Updated 18/01/2022 at 12:33 GMT
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic have not previously seen eye to eye, but the Australian has been supportive of the world No 1 this year and a doubles pairing might be on the horizon. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99
'Adds to the show!' - Kyrgios drinks fan's beer in celebrating victory
Nick Kyrgios joked that he could ask Novak Djokovic to play doubles after forming a “bromance” with the world No 1.
Kyrgios and Djokovic have exchanged barbs over the years, with the Australian branding Djokovic a “tool” at last year’s Australian Open for his request to improve quarantine conditions for players.
However, Kyrgios somewhat surprisingly came to Djokovic’s defence as he was fighting to stay in Australia this month.
Kyrgios hit out at the Australian government for their "really bad” treatment of Djokovic, who was deported from the country on Sunday after having his visa cancelled for a second time, and also criticised other players for not supporting the world No 1.
His actions led to him being labelled “Nick the Serb” by Djokovic’s fellow Serbian Dusan Lajovic.
“Obviously me and Novak have had some, I guess, differences in the past,” said Kyrgios after his thrilling first-round win over British qualifier Liam Broady.
“But whether it was Novak or someone else, I would have done the same thing. I didn't do it because he was Serbian. If it was another player in that scenario, I would have stood up for what I think was right.
“I think it was just coincidentally it was Novak, and, you know, it was quite a story. But yeah, we got a bit of a bromance going on now.
“Not that I'm complaining. I think I'm going to ask him to play doubles somewhere.”
Djokovic looked set to play the Australian Open after a judge quashed the original decision to cancel his visa on arrival into the country.
However, he was in court again at the weekend and this time the ruling did not go in his favour and he was forced to leave Australia.
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Kyrgios and Broady burst out laughing after Brit takes underarm serve request
Kyrgios revealed recently that Djokovic has messaged him to thank him for his support.
“Novak has reached out to me personally on IG (Instagram) saying ‘Thank you for standing up for me’,” Kyrgios said on his ‘No Boundaries’ podcast.
“I was not the one he was expecting to go out in the media and have his back.
“As a human, he’s obviously feeling quite alienated in all of this. As a human, that’s a dangerous place to be in — when you feel like the world is against you, like you can’t do anything right.”
Kyrgios faces world No 2 Daniil Medvedev in the second round of the Australian Open.
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Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+. A subscription for discovery+ is now £29.99 for the first year for UK users, down from £59.99
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