Nick Kyrgios has revealed he doesn’t enjoy commentating on Novak Djokovic’s matches at Grand Slams because the former world No 1 “frustrates the hell out of me.”
The Serbian star’s efficient style of play has not always gone down well with the crowd over the years, with the likes of Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer perhaps receiving more support for their entertainment factor.
As a result, watching the 24-time Major winner can often feel like a procession for fans and commentators, with Djokovic coming out on top in the vast majority of his matches.
But Kyrgios said he gets frustrated on the rare occasions when the 37-year-old struggles to finish off opponents early when leading by two sets. He even joked that Djokovic extends the contest because he ‘knows’ Kyrgios is working behind the microphone.
“I’ve done a lot of Novak matches and he frustrates the hell out of me because I hate doing his matches early on in Slams,” Kyrgios said on ‘The Sit-Down’ prior to the Australian Open.
“Because he just plays around with his food for like four hours and I’m like ‘I could’ve been in my hotel an hour and a half ago’, and he’ll be up two sets to love.
“Then he’ll lose the third and start complaining and then he’ll go to his box, and there will be 7-6 in the fourth and I’m like ‘dude, do you just enjoy keeping me…’, because he knows that I’m in there and then he starts losing focus.
“He frustrates the hell out of me and I hate doing Novak’s matches.”
Few can argue with the effectiveness of Djokovic’s game, as his record at Grand Slams stands at 377-51 – giving him an incredible match win rate of 88 per cent.
His surprise third-round exit at the US Open in September was the earliest he has crashed out of a Slam since losing in round two of the Australian Open back in 2017.
Kyrgios and Djokovic have clashed on the court in the past during his younger days, with the former saying Djokovic was “a tool”. The Belgrade native responded by saying he “doesn’t have much respect” for his Aussie opponent.
The pair have managed to thaw their frosty relationship over the years and are now considered friends – in spite of Kyrgios’ opinion on watching him play.
However, there is one top player Kyrgios enjoys watching who always keeps him entertained in the commentary box with his unpredictable style.
“I’ve done a lot of [Carlos] Alcaraz as well and I think that’s probably one of my favourites to watch,” he added. “He’s so exciting and always has something up his sleeve that I think this tennis world hasn’t seen. He’s going to keep evolving.”
