{"id":407296,"date":"2026-01-14T20:22:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:22:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/407296\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T20:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T20:22:11","slug":"nick-kyrgios-on-big-kid-novak-djokovics-retirement-rumors-its-only-good","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/407296\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Kyrgios on \u2018big kid\u2019 Novak Djokovic\u2019s retirement rumors, \u2018It\u2019s only good\u2026\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nick Kyrgios has defended Novak Djokovic amid ongoing retirement speculation, calling the 24-time Grand Slam champion a \u201cbig kid\u201d and insisting his continued presence is a gift to the sport.<\/p>\n

The Australian spoke candidly about Djokovic\u2019s future during a recent interview, praising the Serbian star\u2019s energy and influence while urging fans and media to stop pushing for an early exit from tennis.<\/p>\n

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Kyrgios\u2019 lighthearted yet sincere comments reflected both admiration and a personal understanding of the pressures Djokovic faces as one of the game\u2019s greatest figures.<\/p>\n

As chatter around Djokovic\u2019s career plans intensifies ahead of another grueling season, Kyrgios\u2019 words offered a reminder of how much respect still exists between two of tennis\u2019 most outspoken personalities.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/p>\n

Photo by PATRICK HAMILTON\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Kyrgios praises Djokovic\u2019s joy and longevity<\/p>\n

Speaking in a recent interview with SBS Sport<\/a>, Kyrgios said: \u201cWe do get along very well. We do get along very well now. When he is around me, he just feels like he is a bit of a kid again.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe is a big kid, Novak, and I think he just has so much pressure everywhere he goes, and we always talk like, is he gonna retire, is he gonna do something like\u2026<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we just let him go around and play like, regardless of if he loses the first round or wins a Slam? Like, what more does he have to do? As long as he hangs around, it\u2019s only good for the sport,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Kyrgios\u2019 comments struck a balance between humor and genuine respect. The pair, who were once known for their on-court tension, have since developed a friendship built on mutual understanding and shared experiences under the sport\u2019s brightest spotlight.<\/p>\n

By describing Djokovic as a \u201cbig kid,\u201d Kyrgios highlighted the lighter side of a player often seen through the lens of competitiveness and dominance.<\/p>\n

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Novak Djokovic\u2019s influence still drives tennis forward<\/p>\n

Djokovic, now deep into his 30s, continues to perform at the highest level despite speculation over when he might call time on his legendary career. His drive to keep competing, even after achieving nearly everything possible, remains a source of motivation for players across generations.<\/p>\n

Kyrgios\u2019 defence of the Serb echoes what many in the sport feel privately, that Djokovic\u2019s continued presence raises standards and keeps tennis relevant on the global stage. As Kyrgios put it, the sport is better with Djokovic still \u201changing around.\u201d<\/p>\n

For as long as he continues to step onto the court, his combination of intensity, charisma, and experience will keep tennis fans watching, and players like Kyrgios inspired.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nick Kyrgios has defended Novak Djokovic amid ongoing retirement speculation, calling the 24-time Grand Slam champion a \u201cbig…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":407297,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[72],"tags":[812,433,99,428],"class_list":{"0":"post-407296","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tennis","8":"tag-nick-kyrgios","9":"tag-novak-djokovic","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-tennis"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=407296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/407296\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/407297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=407296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=407296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=407296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}