“Novak Djokovic enjoys being the villain” – Nick Kyrgios makes bold claim about Serb’s tumultuous relationship with crowd

Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios have shared a polarising relationship over the last 10 years. While one stands tall with 24 Grand Slam titles, the latter is still in search of his first, and the closest he came was in the 2022 Wimbledon Finals, where he was defeated by none other than Djokovic.

It won’t be wrong to say that Kyrgios has witnessed Djokovic’s career and his challenging relationship with fans. The duo in fact got together to feature in a doubles matchup at Brisbane International.

Kyrgios recently offered a candid outlook on Djokovic, saying that the Serbian has embraced the role of the sport’s “villain.”

“He’s way more comfortable in his own skin now,” he said (via TNT Sports). “I think he did want the crowd to love him, but he enjoys being the villain. He finds energy when people heckle him. He’s the greatest tennis player of all time so he wouldn’t care as much what people think now.

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"We have respect for each other and we are proof that different personalities can make it to the top and you don’t have to have everyone liking you."

Nick Kyrgios revisits the 2025 Wimbledon Finals with Novak Djokovic.

As previously mentioned, the last time Nick Kyrgios played in the Wimbledon Open, he reached the finals, where he endured a tough defeat against Novak Djokovic.

The Serbian defeated Kyrgios 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–6 (7–3). Revisiting the final during the same interview, the Australian tennis player said:

"It was only a couple of points here and there where, if I’d acted a bit differently, I would have had a Wimbledon title."

However, Kyrgios takes no shame in losing to Djokovic, whom he considers "GOAT."

"But there’s no shame in losing to the greatest of all time," he added. "Do I think about it often? Yes. Do I think about what I could have changed? Yes. Could I have prepared better? No. I prepared amazingly."

In the 2025 Wimbledon Open, Kyrgios will once again miss the biggest major slam of the year for the third straight time. He is suffering from injuries to his knee, foot and wrist. He previously missed playing the French Open as well.

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Krutik Jain

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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