The beef between tennis world no.1 Novak Djokovic and number 47 Nick Kyrgios seems to go on and on.
Until recently, Novak has generally tried to avoid adding fuel to the tense relationship with Nick Kyrgios. That’s despite Nick’s repeated attempts to draw him into an online confrontation.
However, last Thursday, the world no.1 allowed himself a rare slip to throw a well-timed shade at Nick Kyrgios.
Djokovic showed how he really felt about Nick’s constant jabs when he liked an Instagram post where tennis legend John McEnroe was quoted saying in a BBC Radio interview that Kyrgios would have been a top-five player on the planet if only he were able to show up consistently – give his 100 percent – every time he steps onto the court.
“Is he good for the game? Yes, he’s good for the game,” McEnroe said during his interview with BBC Radio 5.
“Does he sell tickets? Yes. I can’t handle the fact that he only tries half the time. We can’t support that anymore. I don’t think he should be out there anymore unless he gives an honest effort – that’s my personal opinion.
“The guy would be top five in the world for sure if he was able to do it. He’s got incredible – this is my opinion – fear of failure. He doesn’t even allow himself to train hard enough to give himself a chance.”
“You saw what he is capable of,” he said. “He was driving Nadal crazy; it was the best second-round match, one of the best matches of the whole tournament. But when he plays guys, he’s supposed to beat; he doesn’t even show up.”
Djokovic’s reaction was the complete opposite of what his fans saw during the Wimbledon Championships– where he played down the beef with Kyrgios.
“Honestly, I think that deep down he is not such a bad guy,” Novak said. “I don’t know why Kyrgios says all these things, whether he is seeking attention or has some other motive.
He went on: “He obviously wants to be sincere and transparent. It’s the way he is; I respect that like I respect all other players on tour.”
Nick Kyrgios had in an earlier interview with NY Times tennis expert Ben Rothenberg on the No Challenges Remaining Podcast labeled the world no.1 as “cringe-worthy.”
“I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked,” said Kyrgios. “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 move] that he does after matches, it’s like so cringe-worthy. It’s very cringeworthy.”
Kyrgios went on to say, as far as he is concerned, Djokovic is not the greatest player ever. He has played Novak twice and won.
So, “Simply because, I’ve played him twice and like, I’m sorry, but if you can’t beat me, you’re not the greatest of all time. Because if you like look at my day-to-day routine and how much I train and how much I put in, it’s zero compared to him.”
As it stands, it doesn’t appear both parties will make peace anytime soon.
