"I want to party with Novak Djokovic" - Nick Kyrgios ready to play in Serbia exhibition, but on one condition

Nick Kyrgios said he would be ready to participate in an exhibition match in Serbia against Novak Djokovic, but mentioned that he would play on one condition - only if the Serbian legend paid him a handsome fee.

Once fiercest of rivals, Nick Kyrgios and Djokovic have gradually developed a bond on the tennis circuit as the duo recently teamed up to play doubles at the Brisbane International tournament. While they lost in the round of 16, it offered a glimpse into their camaraderie.

While addressing the media ahead of the Australian Open 2025 on Friday, Nick Kyrgios was asked whether he had committed to Djokovic on playing an exhibition match in Belgrade.

In his typical tongue-in-cheek fashion, Kyrgios replied:

“If he pays me (smiling). I think he can pay me a pretty good amount. I'll happily come.”

While Kyrgios laid the marker in terms of what Djokovic needed to do to convince him for the match, the Australian added there was something else he wanted to do in Serbia: party with the 24-time Grand Slam champion.

“I don't even want to play tennis there. I want to party in Belgrade. I want to party with Djokovic in Serbia, like that. That will go down as the greatest of all time,” Kyrgios said.

Nick Kyrgios was in fact scheduled to play against Novak Djokovic in an exhibition match on Thursday as part of the 'A Night With Novak' event at the Rod Laver Arena, but later pulled out due to an abdominal strain.

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Nick Kyrgios battles injury concerns ahead of Australia Open 2025

Nick Kyrgios' withdrawal from the Australian Open charity event was the latest injury concern the Australian is battling ahead of the year’s first Grand Slam. He returned to professional tennis after an 18-month hiatus in late December but hasn’t looked his best yet.

Kyrgios began his 2025 season at Brisbane International but needed on-court medical treatment during his defeat to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard as he continued to recover from wrist surgery.

The fact that he withdrew from this week’s exhibition match further compounded worries about whether Kyrgios would even play at the Australian Open, but those doubts were put to rest when he attended a training session in Melbourne on Thursday.

Kyrgios, who goes into the Melbourne Major with a protected ranking of 21, clarified in a press conference on Friday that he was “taking it day by day” and insisted that his target remains to play in the season’s first Grand Slam. Barring any last-minute surprises, the former World No. 13 will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday, January 13.