Novak Djokovic defeated Nick Kyrgios in four sets to win his seventh Wimbledon title on Sunday, and he acknowledged after the match that he has had a complicated relationship with his opponent.
Djokovic praised Kyrgios for the way he played. The Serbian star said he never envisioned himself complimenting Kyrgios given the history between the two players.
“I never thought I was gonna say so many nice things about you considering the relationship,” Djokovic said. “OK, it’s officially a bromance.”
Djokovic was then asked about the bet he and Kyrgios made before the Wimbledon final, which is that the winner buys dinner for the loser. Kyrgios had proposed that the two “go to a nightclub and go nuts” instead. Djokovic joked on Sunday that he intentionally did not respond to that because his wife was sitting next to him at the time.
You can see the comments below at around the 1:05 mark:
🗣️ "Nick, you'll be back… It's officially a bromance! I lost words for what this tournament and trophy means to me."
🏆🇷🇸 Novak Djokovic reacts to his 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙝 @Wimbledon title!#Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/qWz1EIehNX
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) July 10, 2022
Kyrgios had said in the past that he did not like Djokovic “at all.” Things changed earlier this year when Djokovic was in the middle of his battle with the Australian government over his vaccination status. Kyrgios, who is from Australia, was one of the few players who defended Djokovic publicly.
Djokovic appreciated that Kyrgios stood up for him. That has resulted in a newfound respect between the two players.
