Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has gone in to bat for world number one Novak Djokovic with the Serbian star hoping to remain in Australia to play in the year’s first grand slam.
Djokovic is facing his second court battle on Sunday after the Australian Immigration Minister Alex Hawke decided to cancel his visa as he deemed it was in the public’s interest to do so.
While many star players have come out and slammed Djokovic’s vaccination stance and recent behaviour, Kyrgios instead took a different view, instead claiming Hawke’s decision has turned the situation into a “s-—show”.
“It’s just a s—-show,” Kyrgios said on the No Boundaries podcast.
“I’m waking up and it’s just reading the media and there’s something new every day. I feel like we’re just trying to fight things that aren’t right, it’s not about the vaccination any more, it’s just about him not being here on the right visa or his visa being cancelled.
“I feel like if it’s not that, it’s something else. I just think it’s crazy. I feel so sorry for him. Preparing for an Australian Open or grand slam is enough for someone and the pressures that he has are so unique, he’s going for 21 slams, being Novak Djokovic preparing is already enough.
“It’s an absolute s—-show. How we deal with this stuff is just embarrassing.”
“He's here to play tennis, he's not doing anything to anyone.”
Despite been one of Djokovic’s biggest critics in recent years, Kyrgios said the 20-time grand slam champion reached out to thank him after the Aussie backed him publicly.
“Novak has reached out to me personally on IG (Instagram) saying, 'Thank you for standing up for me’," Kyrgios said.
“I was not the one he was expecting to go out in the media and have his back.
“As a human, he's obviously feeling quite alienated in all of this. As a human, that's a dangerous place to be in, when you feel like the world is against you, like you can't do anything right.
“The mistreatment of people in Melbourne has been atrocious in the last two years. I understand the anger towards him for not being vaccinated and getting a medical exemption, but if you look at it on face value, he's got his paperwork.”
A decision on Djokovic’s federal court case is expected on Sunday in Melbourne.
If he’s free to play, his first round clash is set for Monday against fellow countryman Miomir Kecmanovic.