Nick Kyrgios Takes Rivalry with Novak Djokovic to the Next Level

Seeing the name Nick Kyrgios and controversy in the same sentence is hardly surprising to anyone lately. The mercurial Australian tennis player always winds up making headlines every week or so. He has also struck up several ‘rivalries’ with his fellow tennis players and goes out of his way to ‘intimidate’ them.

This time, his latest target is World number 1, Novak Djokovic, and Kyrgios is going all out. Recently, Nick Kyrgios met with a fan wearing a T-shirt with Novak Djokovic’s name. So, the 24-year old did the ‘mature’ thing and crossed out Djokovic’s name with a marker, stating ‘this is what I think of you’.

Earlier this year, Kyrgios branded Djokovic as ‘cringeworthy’ and called him out over his ‘need to be liked’. Speaking to the No Challenges Remaining podcast, Kyrgios said, “I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked,”

“He just wants to be like Roger. For me personally — I don’t care right now, I’ve come this far — I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can’t stand him.

“This whole celebration thing [the ‘boob-throwing’ celebration] that he does after matches, it’s like so cringe-worthy. It’s very cringeworthy.”

Djokovic is only the second Top 3 player that Nick Kyrgios has targeted, with Rafael Nadal being the other one. The Aussie tried to rattle Nadal, right from the Acapulco Open, prompting uncle, Toni Nadal to retaliate by calling him ‘uneducated’.

Unfazed, the World number 48 shot back, “I am educated and I understand that you are upset that I beat your family again.”

He even went as far as to call Nadal ‘super salty’ after losing to him. However, Nadal elected to ignore the ribbing and ahead of his Wimbledon clash with the Australian, he told the BBC, “Being honest, I’m too old for all this stuff.”

“Too many years on the tour. What I said I said, and I believe in what I said. I’m not a guy that is going to be in a fight with anybody.”

“I’m here to enjoy my sport. And to keep doing the thing I love as good as possible. After tomorrow it’s gonna be another chance to be on court in this amazing place.”