Nick Kyrgios recently appeared on boxing legend Mike Tyson’s podcast, Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson. Discussing the Big 3 of tennis, Kyrgios picked Novak Djokovic as the greatest of all time. He also had special praise reserved for Roger Federer, calling him his toughest opponent.
While Kyrgios may be waxing lyrical about Djokovic now, the duo were at loggerheads for a significant period, often calling each other out publicly. The relationship, however, saw a complete turnaround after the 2022 Australian Open. Since then, Kyrgios and Djokovic have evolved into close friends, with the Australian terming the latter his GOAT on many occasions.
Roger Federer difficult to face, but Novak Djokovic is the greatest -Nick Kyrgios
Out of action since June, Nick Kyrgios talked about his career and his opinions on the Big 3 on the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast. He discussed facing Federer and Rafael Nadal before calling Djokovic the greatest tennis player. He said the Serb will add to his record tally of 24 Grand Slam titles. Kyrgios believed that despite his achievements, Djokovic was not regarded as highly as he should be.
“He is the best of all time, he has 24 Grand Slams and I think he will win a couple more. He is crazy. But I think he doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”
Talking about Nadal, Kyrgios said that from the Big 3, he has been the most successful against the Spaniard. The 2022 Wimbledon finalist then claimed Federer was the fan favorite in any city across the globe. He said facing the Swiss legend was not a good feeling because viewers always wanted him to win. Kyrgios added that Djokovic is the greatest, but Federer was the most difficult to play against because of his ‘aggression’.
“I faced Nadal very well. I had the most success against him, but he’s still beaten me many times. Federer could make you feel really bad. No matter where in the world you faced him, he was a fan favourite. Play against him in Europe, America, Australia… everyone wanted Federer to win all the time. I think Novak is the best of all time, but for me, Federer was the most difficult to face. Something about him was very aggressive and didn’t leave you much room to breathe.”
Kyrgios also revealed drinking alcohol until 4:00 a.m. the night before facing Nadal in the 2019 Wimbledon. The former World No.13 lost the fixture and said it helped him realize the need to sleep early before matchdays. While he may not have much of a camaraderie with Nadal and Federer, Kyrgios is best friends with Djokovic. The origin of their friendship lies in a rocky feud that only dissipated about a year ago.
The Kyrgios – Djokovic relation over the years
Kyrgios’ relationship with Djokovic has undergone a complete transformation, as the duo have gone from hurling taunts at each other to becoming buddies. The former regularly poked the latter and started the war of words in 2019. He accused the Serb of being obsessed with being as likeable as Federer and added that he ‘could not stand’ him (via Express). He also called Djokovic ‘cringeworthy’ and a ‘tool’ on separate occasions. The World No.1, for his part, hinted that Kyrgios is an attention-seeker.
The mud-slinging, however, turned into friendship after Djokovic’s 2022 Australian Open fiasco over his vaccination status. Kyrgios was one the few to defend the 24-time Grand Slam winner, who privately thanked him later for speaking up. This kicked off a tight friendship between the two that was strengthened when they crossed paths in the 2022 Wimbledon final. Djokovic called their bond a ‘bromance’ in his post-match interview and later even jokingly offered to coach his friend. Kyrgios may have turned down the mock offer now, but it would not be a surprise if their friendship spills over into tennis.
