“I just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger [Federer],” said Nick Kyrgios of Novak Djokovic all the way back in 2019. And thus began a years-long feud, with both sides exchanging all kinds of verbal snipes, such as the Aussie calling Djokovic “useless” and the Serb declaring he had “no respect” for Kyrgios. Names were called, no holds were barred, and even family got involved as Djokovic’s father, Srjdan, once stepped in to defend his son (and promptly earned the ire of Kyrgios).
But then something changed. In 2022, as Djokovic dispatched Kyrgios in the Wimbledon final, he called the Australian “one of the best players in the world.” And then came the playful banter on social media. The catalyst? Kyrgios’ public defense (one of the few) of Djokovic when the Serb was embroiled in a deportation snafu at the 2022 Australian Open over his Covid-19 vaccination status. “That’s something that I’ll never forget, and since that moment, our relationship has gotten better,” said Djokovic on Kyrgios’ podcast last year. Now what was a bitter rivalry replete with barbed retorts has metamorphosed into a full-blown bromance that has continued into 2025, as Djokovic battles it out to win title number 25 and Kyrgios watches on from the stands.
In the Round of 16, it was business as usual for Novak Djokovic. Despite an early slump, he produced a masterclass of a comeback to enter the last eight of the Wimbledon Championships. The Serb gave hardly anything away after losing the first set against Alex de Minaur, who had no answers to Djokovic’s domination as the Serb went on to win the match in four sets. His performance even stunned his old foe turned friend Kyrgios, who had an amazing reaction to the Serb’s comeback victory.
Taking to his X handle, Kyrgios wrote, “That was a Houdini 4th set from Novak. Wild. Demon was in control, and then 15 minutes later match over. Keeps defeating time.” Novak Djokovic won the fourth set 6-4 in less than an hour and gave hardly anything away to de Minaur. Although the Serb was broken once, he broke de Minaur’s serve twice to take home the match and enter the last eight.
That was a Houdini 4th set from Novak Wild. Demon was in control, and then 15 minutes later match over. Keeps defeating time.
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Kyrgios has even named Djokovic as one of the four players who can win Wimbledon this year. Although Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are a natural choice to be the favorites at Wimbledon, Kyrgios also named Taylor Fritz apart from these three, who can be a surprise package here. “Fritz can do some damage against those guys. Novak has at times looked incredible but the way Sinner and Alcaraz are playing and dialled in, it’s pretty tough to go past those two guys,” Kyrgios stated.
Moreover, Novak Djokovic himself admitted that the ongoing Wimbledon Championships could be his best chance to win his 25th major title. Before the tournament, Djokovic opened up about giving his all here.
Novak Djokovic determined as ever to win Wimbledon
With Novak Djokovic entering the final phase of his career, the search for an elusive 25th Grand Slam title is beginning to fade down. Nonetheless, he wants to give it all on the court and leave no stone unturned to win a record 25th Grand Slam trophy. Ahead of the tournament, the Serb revealed why the Wimbledon Championships this year could be his final chance to clinch his 25th Grand Slam title.
Djokovic mentioned, “I would probably agree that Wimbledon could be the best chance, because of the results I had, because of how I feel, how I play in Wimbledon. Just getting that extra push mentally and motivation to perform the best tennis at the highest level. Whether it could be my ‘last dance, I’m not sure — as I’m not sure about Roland Garros or any other Slam that I play next. My wish is to play for several more years. I would love to be healthy physically and also mentally motivated to keep on playing at the highest level. That’s the goal. But you never know at this stage.”
The Serb will face the Italian star Flavio Cobolli in the last eight at Wimbledon. Fans can follow the match on EssentiallySports’ Live Blog. Do you think that Novak Djokovic can win his 25th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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