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Novak Djokovic has claimed he doesn’t have much respect for Nick Kyrgios after the Australian called the world No.1 a “tool” last month.
Djokovic reignited the long-running feud between the eve of the Australian Open when journalists asked him about Kyrgios behavior on and off the pitch.
“I think he’s good for the sport. Obviously he’s a different person. He goes to tennis, he goes his authentic way,” Djokovic told reporters.
“I have respect for him. I have respect for everyone really because everyone has the right and the freedom to choose how they want to express themselves, what they want to do. My respect goes to him for the tennis he plays. “
“I think he’s a very talented guy. He’s got a big game. He’s proven he has a quality to beat any player in the world in the past.
“Off the pitch I don’t have a lot of respect for him, to be honest. That’s where I’m going to close. I really don’t have any other comments to make, his own comments to me or anything else to do. “
Djokovic has been widely criticized in the tennis world after sending a list of requests to Tennis Australia for players in quarantine.
Kyrgios was among the harshest critics, publicly tweeting that “Djokovic is a tool”.
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It was just the last chapter in the tension between the two stars.
It all started in 2019 when Kyrgios took to New York Times reporter Ben Rothernberg’s No Challenges Remaining podcast, and was unloaded in an explosive interview.
“I just feel like he (Djokovic) has an unhealthy obsession, wanting to be loved,” Kyrgios told the podcast.
“He just wants to be like Roger (Federer). He just wants to be loved so much that I can’t stand him.”
The demon’s praise for Kyrgios
During a heavily disrupted season last year, Kyrgios established himself as a “moral” voice within the tennis community, holding his professional colleagues accountable for their behavior during the pandemic, including Djokovic, who organized the controversial Adria Tour in June.
A host of stars, including Djokovic himself, tested positive for COVID-19 after participating in the tournament, which drew large crowds and had limited social distancing.
Kyrgios criticized the event at the time and says it’s important for him to speak up, especially when it comes to someone of Djokovic’s stature, who later apologized for hosting the Adria Tour event last year.
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