Novak Djokovic: 'I can't respect Nick Kyrgios outside the court'

In his pre-Australian Open press conference, world no. 1 and the defending champion Novak Djokovic spoke about Nick Kyrgios, his statements and behavior outside the court.

While praising Nick's abilities and the fact that he can challenge any rival from the top when he plays his best tennis, Novak also stated that the Aussie couldn't deserve his respect for everything he is doing and saying outside the court. Djokovic has been Kyrgios' target for a couple of years. The Aussie recently called the Serb a tool, blasting Novak for the letter he sent to Craig Tiley, asking for better conditions for players during the quarantine.

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"I think that Nick is good for the sport; he is different. He goes about his tennis and off-court things in his authentic way. Like everyone else, I have respect for him because everyone has the right and freedom to choose how they want to express themselves and what they want to do. My respect goes to him for the tennis he's playing. I think he is a very talented guy; his game is big.

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He has proven that he has the quality to beat any player in the world. Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest. That's where I'll close it. I don't have any further comments for him, his comments for me, or anything else he's trying to do," Novak Djokovic said.