Djokovic’s coach Ivanisevic criticizes Kyrgios for attacking Novak

Nick Kyrgios is often referred to as the ‘bad boy’ of tennis. While he is a very talented player, the 24-year old is never far from controversy. He recently received a fine for insulting an umpire at the Cincinnati Open in August. The Australian is never afraid to speak his mind. Earlier this year, he made some remarks about Novak Djokovic which left the tennis world stunned.

Attack on Djokovic

Speaking on a podcast before the French Open, Kyrgios revealed his feelings about how Djokovic carries himself and his place among the greatest players of all time. The Australian said that the current world number one was obsessed with being liked. Comparing the Serbian to Roger Federer, the Australian said that Djokovic’s celebrations, such as blowing kisses to the crowd, were a desperate attempt to be as popular as the 20-time Grand Slam champion. He even criticized the 32-year-old for withdrawing from the Australian Open due to the hot conditions at the event in 2009. With the Serbian on track to equal Federer’s Grand Slam total, Nick said that he would still not consider him as the best player of all time even if he won the most Grand Slams. The 24-year-old also boasted about his unbeaten record against the Serbian. He has won both times they have played against each other.

Ivanisevic defends Djokovic

The world No.1 did not respond directly to the 24-year-old’s comments. However, his coach Goran Ivanisevic has come to the defense. The Croatian, a former Grand Slam winner himself, has criticized world No. 27 for his comments. Ivanisevic has called out Nick for attacking Djokovic without cause. He said that while Kyrgios had a right to express himself, the comments he made were unwarranted because the current world number one player had not wronged the Australian.

Instead of focusing on Djokovic, Ivanisevic ha surged Kyrgios to concentrate on fulfilling his massive potential. Nick has never won a Grand Slam title in his career despite his undeniable talent. The Croatian coach has said that the Australian will never win a major title if he continues focusing on the wrong objectives, such as disrespecting the 2019 Wimbledon champion. He said, “He speaks a lot about Novak, only he knows the reason. But he should just take care of himself because he should be in the top five, he could win a Grand Slam. He’s never going to win a Grand Slam with the approach he has now.”

Novak Djokovic’s ranking and performance in 2019

At the moment ranked no.1, the Serbian played his last match on the 1^st of September when he lost to Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 2-1 ret. in the 4^th round in U.S. Open.

This year the Serbian has a 41-8 win-loss record. The Serbian conquered 3 titles in 2019 at the Australian Open, in Madrid and in Wimbledon. Novak was the finalist in Rome.

Nick Kyrgios’s ranking and performance in 2019

Ranked no.27, Kyrgios played his last match on the 25^th of September when he surrendered to Andreas Seppi 7-6⁵ 6-1 in the 1^st round in Zhuhai.

This year Kyrgios has a 21-14 win-loss record. Kyrgios conquered 2 titles in 2019 in Acapulco and in Washington.

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios played each other 2 times. The head to head is 2-0 for Kyrgios.

The last time that they locked horns, Nick Kyrgios won 6-4 7-6³ in the 4^th round in Indian Wells in March 2017.