‘Kyrgios Surprised Me’ – Novak Djokovic Says He Received a Lot of Private Messages

Novak Djokovic received a lot of criticism for his stance on vaccination that led to his deportation from Australia. Even though his fans came in support of World No.1, there were many who condemned his decision. He also witnessed a similar reaction from his peers. 

Although many players might have supported Djokovic personally, they decided to not come out publicly, seeing the sensitivity of the matter. However, there were a handful of players who came out in support of Novak. One of the surprising players to back the Serb was the Aussie, Nick Kyrgios.  

Novak Djokovic addresses the support he received during the Australian Open saga

Djokovic recently addressed the support he received from his peers, specifically mentioning Nick Kyrgios and Alize Cornet. The Australian has been involved in a war-of-words with the Serb on a few occasions, and even previously criticized his opinion on the vaccine.

Also read- ‘Those Looks From My Colleagues’ – Novak Djokovic Says the Treatment From ATP Players Hurt Him the Most at Australian Open 2022

However, during the visa-saga, Kyrgios condemned the Australian government’s handling of the case and supported Novak.

Djokovic said, “Kyrgios surprised me pleasantly, I thanked him and all the others who stood up for me, Alize Cornet for instance.”

Novak further spoke about other players who did support him privately but didn’t speak up in public. “I received a lot of messages privately from some of the players, but they didn’t want to speak publicly. I understand it, the situation was complicated,” he said. 

Djokovic’s 2022 season about to kick-off

After suffering a semi-final loss to Alexander Zverev in the Nitto ATP Finals, Novak Djokovic buckled up to start his 2022 season by defending his title at the 2022 Australian Open. He also looked forward to beating Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to become the first player to win 21 Grand Slam titles.

The dreams were short-lived as the Serbian arrived in Australia, just to witness one of his worst exits from a tournament. Djokovic was restricted from playing the Australian Open and was deported from the country. 

After failing to start his 2022 season chasing his 10th title at the Australian Open, Djokovic will now start his 2022 season at the ATP 500 Dubai Open, where he will chase his 6th title. 

Watch this story- From Locker Room Fight to Deportation: Biggest Australian Open Controversies