Whenever the tennis world resonates with the discussion of rivals turned besties, the names of Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios would probably be at the top of the list. Their relationship has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. Kyrgios has often talked about his bitter on-court clashes with the Serbian star, but lately, the duo has developed a surprising and close bond. Now, in true ‘bad-boy’ fashion, Kyrgios has once again stepped up to support Novak Djokovic, who finds himself embroiled in controversy.

 Novak Djokovic faced the ‘King of Clay’ Rafael Nadal in the second round of his Paris Olympics campaign. Despite being a high-stakes match, Nole seemed to dominate the court and handed a baffling defeat to Nadal in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4. But what caught the attention of the tennis community, was the absurd gesture from Djokovic.

After Nadal and Djokovic equaled the second set 4-4, the Serbian Maestro secured a crucial break in the ninth game. This helped him edge past Nadal and ultimately win the match. But after securing the point, Djokovic turned to the crowd and stuck his fingers to his ears, signifying that he had silenced fans of Nadal in the match. This was not accepted well by the tennis enthusiasts.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter,) one user wrote, “Is there a single non-Serbian tennis fan who even likes this guy? His on-court behaviour is absolutely appalling and I could never understand how someone could possibly support this piece of trash.” But amidst the series of backlashes, Nole’s eternal supporter Kyrgios once again entered the fray.

“I do,” he stated plainly. Meanwhile, Djokovic’s history with the crowd is not very encouraging.

In the recently concluded Wimbledon, the Serb engaged in a tussle with the crowd. He perceived the cheer for his opponent, Holger Rune as boos against him. Later, he booed back at the crowd and said, “goooooood night,” which had led to a significant debate within the tennis arena. Coming back to his latest banter, this is not the first time when Novak Djokovic’s response to the crowd has witnessed the Aussie’s support. 

In the 2024 edition of the Australian Open, Djokovic faced a heckler in the crowd. The Serbian player exchanged heated words with an abusive heckler telling him, “Come say that to my face”, and labeled him a coward. Kyrgios had then offered Nole to fight the heckler on his behalf. “If you want me to jump into the crowd and sort him out, I’ll do it for you bro. I got your back 100%.” And even the 37-year-old has admitted that Kyrgios is one of his true supporters.

When Novak Djokovic found a true fan in Nick Kyrgios

Novak Djokovic faced vaccine-related turmoil after the Australian government deported him and canceled his visa. During this phase, the Serb witnessed Kyrgios turning out to be one of his best supporters and thanked him for speaking on his behalf. 

Back in 2023 during the Adelaide International, Nole reflected on the support that Nick presented during a time when everyone despised him. “I wasn’t his favorite guy – let’s take it that way – for many years. But he was one of the very few that stood by me last year, and I respect that and appreciate that. In those moments you can actually see who truly supports you and who is by your side and who goes with,” said Djokovic.

As the ongoing Paris Olympics advances further, it will be interesting to see if Novak Djokovic engages in more such tussles with the crowd. But what is certain is Nick Kyrgios’ intense support for his ‘brother.’