Novak Djokovic has offered Nick Kyrgios a playful bet on the outcome of Sunday’s all-important Wimbledon final between the two players. The Serbian beat Cameron Norrie in Friday’s semi-final to book a crucial meeting with Kyrgios on Center Court, while the Australian hope received a bye after Rafael Nadal withdrew from the tournament with an abdominal injury.
It remains to be seen which player will come out on top with the highest stakes on Sunday, although Djokovic appears to be the overwhelming favorite to beat Kyrgios for the Grand Slam’s most prestigious trophy. He exchanged words with his rival on the practice courts on Saturday, thanking Kyrgios for his support during the Australian Open saga in January.
Kyrgios took to Instagram to send a cheeky message to Djokovic later on Saturday, asking his upcoming opponent whether or not they could be classed as friends after their warm exchange. Djokovic responded by offering Kyrgios an informal bet that could spice up their Wimbledon final, which will mark just the third professional meeting between the two players.
“If you invite me for a drink or dinner, I accept,” Djokovic replied on his Instagram story, followed by a laughing emoji before adding: “PS Tomorrow’s winner pays.”
RIGHT: Wimbledon row as player smashes the ball in a sensitive area
Kyrgios looked ready for the challenge, with the 27-year-old wasting no time accepting Djokovic’s offer, writing: “Deal, let’s go to a nightclub and get crazy.”
This year’s Wimbledon finalists have previously shared a rocky relationship on court, with both players railing against each other in the media over the past few years. They appear to have struck up a bond since Kyrgios publicly backed Djokovic over his Australian Open debacle, although the latter recently downplayed talk of a friendship blossoming from the situation.
DO NOT MISS
“I don’t know if I can call it a bromance yet, but we definitely have a better relationship than what it probably was before January this year,” Djokovic said.
“But when I was having a really tough time in Australia, he was one of the few players who came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. That’s something I really value, so I respect him a lot for that.”
Kyrgios boasts a remarkable 100 percent win record over Djokovic, with the former winning both of their previous meetings on the ATP Tour. However, the pair have not played each other since 2017, when Kyrgios beat his Serbian rival in straight sets in Indian Wells that year.
FOLLOW OUR NEW DAILY EXPRESS SPORT INSTAGRAM PAGE
Add Comment