{"id":1198018,"date":"2022-01-07T19:04:34","date_gmt":"2022-01-08T00:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1198018"},"modified":"2022-01-07T19:04:48","modified_gmt":"2022-01-08T00:04:48","slug":"aussie-tennis-star-nick-kyrgios-defends-novak-djokovic-he-is-human-do-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aussie-tennis-star-nick-kyrgios-defends-novak-djokovic-he-is-human-do-better\/","title":{"rendered":"Aussie Tennis Star Nick Kyrgios Defends Novak Djokovic: &#039;He Is Human. Do Better&#039;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Faussie-tennis-star-nick-kyrgios-defends-novak-djokovic-he-is-human-do-better%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1198018&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p class=\"subheading\">Australian top tennis player Nicholas Kyrgios condemned his government for the \u201creally bad\u201d handling of Serbian champion Novak Djokovic\u2019s visa cancelation on Friday, imploring Canberra to \u201cdo better.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kyrgios\u2019 criticism of the situation \u2013 in response to Djokovic allegedly having insufficient documentation to receive an exemption from the national coronavirus vaccine mandate, Border Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/national-security\/2022\/01\/06\/australia-forces-tennis-champion-novak-djokovic-dingy-refugee-facility\/\">tossed<\/a> him into a notoriously inhumane migrant detention center \u2013is notable both because he is the first high-profile Australian tennis player to weigh in on the situation and because of years of criticism and personal conflict with Djokovic. Kyrgios has also been a vocal proponent of social distancing measures and vaccines, and has arguably taken a considerable career hit by missing tournaments throughout 2020 out of concern over the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B1\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"gmxrevmore\" class=\"H\"><\/figure>\n<div id=\"attachment_19390874\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/britain-wimbledon-tennis-serbia-novak-djokovic-celebrates-winning-italy-matteo-berrettini-duri.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-19390874\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/britain-wimbledon-tennis-serbia-novak-djokovic-celebrates-winning-italy-matteo-berrettini-duri.png\" alt=\"Serbia&#039;s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning a point against Italy&#039;s Matteo Berrettini during the men&#039;s singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 11, 2021. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-caption-text\"><em>Serbia\u2019s Novak Djokovic celebrates after winning a point against Italy\u2019s Matteo Berrettini during the men\u2019s singles final on day thirteen of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Sunday, July 11, 2021. (AP Photo\/Kirsty Wigglesworth)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Djokovic, in contrast, attempted to organize his own tournament in 2020, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/news\/2020-06-24\/novak-djokovic-charity-tennis-tournament-became-coronavirus-mess\/12387086\">Adria Tour<\/a>, that abruptly ended when Djokovic and several other players at the event tested positive for coronavirus. The tour prompted widespread outrage and ridicule after videos surfaced of Djokovic and others partying at a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sport\/sportsnews\/article-8423403\/Novak-Djokovic-concludes-Adria-Tour-riotous-half-naked-party-nightclub.html\">night club<\/a> during the event at the height of the first wave of the pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Australian authorities apprehended Djokovic and moved him into a migrant facility shortly after his arrival in Melbourne this week. Djokovic himself had stated in a social media post that he had received a medical \u201cexemption\u201d to coronavirus vaccines and evidence suggests that he present paperwork from Tennis Australia, the country\u2019s governing tennis body, upon arrival.<\/p>\n<p>The prime minister of Australia, Scott Morrison, confirmed that the country had revoked Djokovic\u2019s visa to enter on the grounds that existing paperwork was not sufficient to grant him a vaccine exemption.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p>Djokovic was traveling to attend the Australian Open, one of four Grand Slam tennis tournaments. Djokovic has won the Australian Open nine times, more than any other male player.<\/p>\n<p>Kyrgios, in a post on Twitter on Friday, described his government\u2019s treatment of Djokovic as \u201creally bad.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLike these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human,\u201d Kyrgios wrote. \u201cDo better.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Look I definitely believe in taking action, I got vaccinated because of others and for my mums health, but how we are handling Novak\u2019s situation is bad, really bad. Like these memes, headlines, this is one of our great champions but at the end of the day, he is human. Do better.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NickKyrgios\/status\/1479315449271619586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 7, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Kyrgios teased further commentary in an upcoming podcast not yet released at press time.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B3\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>Kyrgios is currently the number 93 ranked player in the world, largely do to abstaining from travel during the pandemic. At his peak, he made the quarterfinals at two separate Grand Slam tournaments and reached a number 13 ranking. He has a short, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atptour.com\/en\/players\/atp-head-2-head\/nick-kyrgios-vs-novak-djokovic\/KE17\/D643\">perfect<\/a>, record against Djokovic, one of few men on the tour who can say the same.<\/p>\n<p>The two players had minimal interactions before Kyrgios <a href=\"https:\/\/bleacherreport.com\/articles\/2836507-nick-kyrgios-calls-rafael-nadal-salty-novak-djokovic-cringeworthy\">mocked<\/a> Djokovic on a podcast in 2019, expressing distaste for him personally.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"D-ROS-B2\" class=\"a8d\"><\/figure>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI just feel like he has a sick obsession with wanting to be liked. He just wants to be like Roger [Federer]. For me personally\u2014I don\u2019t care right now, I\u2019ve come this far \u2014 I feel like he just wants to be liked so much that I just can\u2019t stand him,\u201d Kyrgios said at the time, calling his celebrations after wins \u201ccringeworthy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">Kyrgios also asserted that Djokovic \u201cwill never be the greatest\u201d in history due to his own record against the champion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"\">\u201cI\u2019ve played him twice and like, I\u2019m sorry, but if you can\u2019t beat me, you\u2019re not the greatest of all time,\u201d Kyrgios said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"M-ROS-B4\" class=\"a8d adSo\"><\/figure>\n<p>In January 2020, before the pandemic had begun to spread in Australia, Kyrgios bizarrely <a href=\"https:\/\/au.sports.yahoo.com\/atp-cup-tennis-nick-kyrgios-bizarre-trolling-novak-djokovic-crowd-012504521.html\">barged<\/a> into a Djokovic doubles match in Brisbane with some friends, apparently just to jeer his fellow player.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis moron and his group of thug mates dressed in black turned up, sat in eye view of Nole [Djokovic] and blatantly stood up and cheered and sniggered at Serbia\u2019s errors,\u201d a Djokovic fan at the event <a href=\"https:\/\/au.sports.yahoo.com\/atp-cup-tennis-nick-kyrgios-bizarre-trolling-novak-djokovic-crowd-012504521.html\">wrote<\/a> at the time. \u201cWhat an idiot!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kyrgios was especially <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NickKyrgios\/status\/1280651871548370944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1280651871548370944%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eurosport.com%2Ftennis%2Fus-open%2F2020%2Fkyrgios-aims-dig-at-djokovic-how-many-years-would-i-be-banned-for_sto7873878%2Fstory.shtml\">derisive<\/a> towards Djokovic for the Adria Tour disaster, accusing him of disrespect for people suffering from both coronavirus and mandatory lockdowns.<\/p>\n<p>His remarks in support of the champion on Friday were not entirely a surprise, however. Kyrgios had apparently defended Djokovic\u2019s right not to get vaccinated in another podcast in November \u2013 though he did so tangentially, more ardently defending NBA star Kyrie Irving. Kyrgios is an avid NBA fan.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat was unexpected, knowing what was coming from him towards me in the last couple of years,\u201d Djokovic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurosport.com\/tennis\/atp-finals\/2021\/novak-djokovic-shocked-by-nick-kyrgios-support-over-australian-open-that-was-unexpected-atp-finals-d_sto8631687\/story.shtml\">said<\/a> at the time when asked about Kyrgios\u2019 opposition to vaccine mandates, laughing. \u201cBut this time I must agree with him that the freedom of choice is essential for everyone, whether it\u2019s me or somebody else.<\/p>\n<p>Last month, Kyrgios lamented that a Djokovic absence \u2013 as well as the absence of Federer and Rafael Nadal, all three of whom share the record for most Grand Slam victories won \u2013 would be a \u201cdisaster\u201d for the sport.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI honestly don\u2019t know Novak\u2019s current situation with anything Covid-related or what he needs to play. I hope he\u2019s had a good Christmas and I hope he\u2019s able to play in the sport for as long as possible because I\u2019ve voiced before I think Federer, Nadal and Djokovic need to be (playing),\u201d Kyrgios <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/news\/no-big-three-would-be-disaster-for-australian-open-kyrgios\/\">said<\/a> then. \u201cIf all three aren\u2019t there, it\u2019s a disaster. It\u2019s an absolute disaster for the fans and the people that enjoy tennis.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Nadal has since confirmed he will be at the tournament. He has also taken a much more <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/01\/06\/rafael-nadal-biggest-beneficiary-of-djokovic-australia-open-absence-demands-he-follow-the-rules\/\">critical<\/a> stand against Djokovic on vaccine mandates than Kyrgios.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn a way, I feel sorry for him. But at the same time, he knew perfectly the conditions for many months. He made his own decision,\u201d Nadal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.breitbart.com\/asia\/2022\/01\/06\/rafael-nadal-biggest-beneficiary-of-djokovic-australia-open-absence-demands-he-follow-the-rules\/\">told<\/a> reporters this week. \u201cIf you do that, if you get vaccinated, you can be here. You can play in the Australian Open and wherever. The world has suffered enough to not follow the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Djokovic has been largely responsible for Nadal possessing only one Australian Open championship; his absence would make Nadal an automatic candidate for champion this year, although Nadal recently overcame a coronavirus infection himself and has struggled with knee injuries.<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Frances Martel on&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/francesimartel\/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1641649586431000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2qb7s_yht6bVIqM52HrsX1\">Facebook<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener external\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/twitter.com\/francesmartel&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1641649586431000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0TGxQie-dT9gk1AOJXZV6a\">Twitter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Australian top tennis player Nicholas Kyrgios condemned his government for the \u201creally bad\u201d handling of Serbian champion Novak Djokovic\u2019s visa cancelation on Friday, imploring Canberra to \u201cdo better.\u201d Kyrgios\u2019 criticism &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1198018","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1198018","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1198018"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1198018\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1198018"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1198018"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1198018"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}