Djokovic vs Kyrgios: head-to-head, stats, all you need to know about the rivalry after Wimbledon final
Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios will clash in the 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles final. Here is all you need to know about their head-to-head and previous clashes
Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells in 2017
Image Credit: Antoine Couvercelle / Panoramic
Djokovic vs Kyrgios: Head-to-Head
The 2022 Wimbledon men’s singles final was the third career meeting between Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios, but their first in a best-of-five set format.
It’s Kyrgios who has a 2-1 lead in the head-to-head, winning both their previous encounters (both on hard courts) in straight sets.
The Australian won their quarter-final clash in Acapulco in 2017 by the score 7-6, 7-5 and then beat the Serb once again in their round of 16 clash at Indian Wells in 2017 by the score of 6-4, 7-6.
Djokovic did, however, win on the biggest stage, beating Kyrgios for the Wimbledon crown, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
Who has won more titles between Djokovic and Kyrgios?
Undoubtedly, Djokovic is the far more accomplished player between the two.
The Serb has won 21 Grand Slam titles, the second most by any player in men’s tennis history (one more than Roger Federer) and one behind Rafael Nadal, who owns 22 Majors. Overall, the Serb has won 88 singles titles in his career.
On the other hand, Kyrgios reached his first Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon, although he has a Grand Slam men’s doubles title on his resume. The 27-year-old won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title with compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis and has won six ATP singles titles to date.
Who has the better stats in terms of win-loss and prize money?
Djokovic’s career win-loss record stands at an incredible 1006-204 while Kyrgios is 184-110 on the same metric.
In terms of career prize money, the Serb has earned more than $156 million while Kyrgios is closing in on the $10 million mark.
Djokovic and Kyrgios: Are they friends?
The two have had a frosty relationship especially after Kyrgios publicly criticised Djokovic for his ill-fated Adria Tour where several players caught coronavirus.
However, in recent months, the relationship between the pair have thawed after Kyrgios publicly stood up for Djokovic in the wake of the Serb’s exile from Melbourne which left him unable to defend his Australian Open title.
Earlier in the week, Djokovic said he was grateful for Kyrgios’ support when very few others had stood up for him.
“Although he has been saying bad stuff about me for years, he stood by me,” the Serb said. “When I was going through the most difficult period, he was one of the rare few people who spoke on my behalf publicly. I am very grateful for that.”
“We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird,” Kyrgios told the media on Friday at Wimbledon. “I think everyone knows there was no love lost for a while there. I think it was healthy for the sport. Every time we played each other, there was hype around it. It was interesting for the media, the people watching, all that. We actually message each other on DMs in Instagram now and stuff. It’s real weird. Actually, like, earlier in the week, he was like, ‘Hopefully I’ll see you Sunday’.”
