Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios in 2024. Photo: Getty
Facing Novak Djokovic on a tennis court is notoriously challenging, but only those who’ve done it can truly describe the experience. Nick Kyrgios and Alexander Bublik are two such players, and in a video shared by UTS, they discuss their encounters with Djokovic during an interview with Patrick Mouratoglou. Both players highlighted Djokovic’s exceptional return game. Bublik remarked, “The problem with Novak is that every time there’s a break point or a critical moment, he plays incredibly. You can’t ace him; he knows where you’re going to serve. I played against him in the Davis Cup, and it was always deuce, advantage… He’s everywhere. I served my best slice serve to the T, and he returns it to the baseline… It’s crazy.” Kyrgios reflected on his Wimbledon final loss to Djokovic, saying, “I couldn’t have served any better. If I had played like Rafa in the Wimbledon final, it might have gone well for me. He’s different. How many finals does he have, 30? That was my first final. So with that experience, he wasn’t fazed at all. He’s very good.”
