Novak Djokovic not surprised by Nick Kyrgios's Wimbledon run

Two weeks ago, few would have predicted that divisive Australian star Nick Kyrgios would be the one to stand between Novak Djokovic and his fourth straight Wimbledon title.

Key points:

• World number 1 Serbia says Kyrgios is “a very complete player”
• Djokovic has faced the Australian twice in his career, losing twice
• The 35-year-old wants to extend her grand slam title to 21 years

Djokovic himself, however, is not surprised Kyrgios will be waiting on the other side of the net in the men’s singles final.

The top seeded Serb booked his eighth Wimbledon final by coming from a set down against Britain’s Cameron Norrie on Saturday, while unseeded Kyrgios benefited from a walkover after Spain’s 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal withdrew from the semi-finals through injury.

Djokovic has only faced Kyrgios twice in his career, losing twice to him in 2017. So while he will be favorite to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown, he knows exactly how dangerous the unpredictable world number 40 Kyrgios can be.

“On the one hand, it’s surprising because [of] his rankings, so maybe not too many people give him a big chance to reach the final,” Djokovic told reporters after beating Norrie in four sets to extend his record winning streak at Wimbledon to 27 matches.

“But I think between us players we always knew how dangerous he was – especially on grass – because of his game, because of his attitude on the pitch, so confident, trying so hard, being a very complete player.

“If you look at his career, the best tennis he has played has always been against top players. That’s why we all respect him, because we know what he can do.

“So it didn’t surprise me that he was there.”

Load

Kyrgios, who has been fined twice during this year’s championship and whose behavior is polarizing opinion unlike any other player, said this week that many would be disappointed by his success at Wimbledon.

Djokovic is not one of them.

“To be honest, as a tennis fan, I’m glad he made it to the final because he’s got so much talent,” said Djokovic, who had an uneasy relationship with the Australian for years.

“Everyone expects great things from him.

“Then we know what happened over the years with him mentally, emotionally. On and off the pitch many different things bothered him and he couldn’t get this consistency.

“For a quality player like him, this is where he has to be and he deserves it.”

This time last year, Djokovic was on the verge of his sixth Wimbledon title and looked likely to not only clinch a calendar year slam title but also break the record for a grand slam title.

Twelve months on, the 35-year-old remains stuck at 20, two behind Nadal. He knew that his chances of overtaking the Spaniard would diminish with each tournament.

“I’m aware of what lies ahead. I don’t know how many chances to win a trophy I still have.”

The big question everyone is asking is: How did Kyrgios, the first Australian to reach a major final in 17 years, handle the biggest match of his career?

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“Playing against someone who has never played in a grand slam final could be in my favor a little bit,” said Djokovic.

“But at the same time, knowing who he is and how he plays tennis and his attitude on the court, he doesn’t seem too stressed. He plays with gentleness every time he steps onto the court.”

Reuters

Posted 1 hour ago1 hour agoFri, 8 Jul 2022 at 20:55, updated 1 hour ago1 hour agoFri 8 Jul 2022 at 21:11

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