Nick Kyrgios has opened up on his 'bromance' with Novak Djokovic as he awaits to see if he'll face his former rival in Sunday's men's final at Wimbledon.
The Australian's explosive time at SW19 took another twist on Thursday when Rafael Nadal announced he was withdrawing from their scheduled semi-final clash, handing Kyrgios a place in the final. Nadal, who was chasing a calendar Grand Slam, suffered an abdominal tear in his quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz.
It means the Canberra man is through to his first ever Slam final - and will soon learn of his opponent. On Friday afternoon, top-seed Novak Djokovic takes on British hope Cameron Norrie on Centre Court.
Kyrgios undoubtedly has a colourful history with the Serbian star, once branding him a 'tool' on Twitter after Djokovic spoke of his displeasure about the treatment of players in the build-up to the 2021 Australian Open. He also had his say after the 20-time Slam winner abandoned his ill-fated Adria Tour in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Boneheaded decision to go ahead with the 'exhibition' speedy recovery fellas, but that's what happens when you disregard all protocols," posted Kyrgios, after a number of players involved were bit by the virus. "This IS NOT A JOKE."
However, to the surprise of fans and critics, the controversial star spoke up for Djokovic during his explosive visa saga down under in January, which eventually caused him to miss the Australian Open. And in his media conference on Friday morning, he said relations had continue to improve since then.
"We actually message each other on DMs on Instagram now and stuff, it's real weird," he told reporters. "And actually like, earlier in the week, he was like, hopefully I'll see you Sunday."
As it happens, Kyrgios, 27, has a 2-0 record against the all-time great, having beaten him in Indian Wells in 2017. That same year, he also came out on top when the pair met in Acapulco, and suggested their past ill-feeling had helped publicise their clashes.
"We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird, you know," he added. "I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there but I think it was healthy for the sport.
"I think every time we played each other there was hype around it, it was interesting for the media and people watching and all that. But ever since I felt like I was almost the only player to stand up for him with all that kind of drama at the Australian Open, I feel that's where respect is kind of earned."
Kyrgios continues to be a divisive figure on the circuit, not least of all this past fortnight. He was fined following his first-round win over Paul Jubb for spitting in the direction of a spectator.
He was also hit with a financial penalty after a fiery third-round match with Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, his undoubted talent has also come to the fore during the Championships, with Emma Raducanu one star to laud his form on social media.
