The stakes were a little lower than when they last faced off on the grounds of The All England Club, but Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic still drew a crowd at SW19 Friday when they stepped out for a light-hearted practice session.
Djokovic is chasing a record-tying eighth Wimbledon singles title this fortnight, while Kyrgios' presence has been limited to the commentary booth. Nonetheless, the pair enjoyed a light-hearted hit on the practice courts in front of delighted fans.
[ATP APP]Djokovic defeated Kyrgios in the 2022 Wimbledon final.
The players engaged in friendly banter, with Djokovic imitating Kyrgios' serve and grunt at one point.
"Feel like a little kid again," Kyrgios wrote on X ahead of the session. "Feeling excited. Long way back from this surgery!"
Kyrgios is one of few players with a winning record against Djokovic, boasting a 2-1 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head rivalry.
Since October 2022, Kyrgios has played just one tour-level match (a loss to Wu Yibing in Stuttgart last year) after undergoing knee and wrist surgeries.
Djokovic, No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is scheduled to play his third-round match at Wimbledon Saturday against another big-serving Australian, Alexei Popyrin.
[NEWSLETTER FORM]