Last Updated:January 30, 2025, 21:14 IST

About Roger Federer, Kyrgios simply said “pretty” while adding, “Like pretty to watch. Probably the most natural player to watch.”

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios recently appeared in a candid interview where he described some legends of the game, including Novak Djokovic, in one word.

Kyrgios appeared to be at the training ground when Nelson Parker and Reza Tompsett of ‘Get Set Tennis’ approached him. The trio started a word association game, with the hosts bringing up a list of renowned tennis players. Known for his humorous character, Kyrgios was asked to share a brief explanation for each name. They started with Djokovic whom the 29-year-old labelled as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

About Roger Federer, Kyrgios simply said “pretty” while adding, “Like pretty to watch. Probably the most natural player to watch.” When the interviewer mentioned “Rafael Nadal”, the 2022 Wimbledon finalist replied, “Competitiveness.”

Kyrgios also called US legend Serena Williams a “champion” and hailed former Australian player Ashleigh Barty for her unparalleled skill of delivering slice shots. A clip of the interview was dropped on the Instagram handle of Get Set Tennis with the caption– “Little fun with Kyrgios.”

With his “GOAT” remark, Kyrgios might recognise himself as a fan of Djokovic. Their relationship was not that pleasant before the 2022 Wimbledon final, where the Serbian star beat Kyrgios to claim the title.

In 2021, when the Australian Open was underway, Djokovic criticised the organisers for the COVID restriction. His comments didn’t go down well with Kyrgios, who publicly slammed the 24-time Grand Slam winner. The matter was settled after their Wimbledon face-off.

Earlier this year, Djokovic and Kyrgios played together at the men’s doubles event in the 2025 Brisbane International. They put up an enthralling performance throughout the tournament but failed to win the trophy. Kyrgios showed his support for Djokovic after he retired in the middle of the semi-final match against Alexander Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios made a return to professional tennis, featuring at the hard-court major on home soil. He had not competed in any Grand Slam event since the 2022 US Open. He reached the quarter-finals of the tournament before being ruled out for nearly two years due to a gruesome wrist injury.