"Why are players adamant to be friends with Nick Kyrgios?";"Casper Ruud should be embarrassed" - Fans 'disappointed' by duo burying the hatchet at WTL

Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud were recently seen bonding courtside at the ongoing 2024 World Tennis League in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Kyrgios and Ruud had teamed up for doubles action and in the aftermath of their win, the Australian penned a heartfelt message for the Norwegian as well. However, the development sparked outrage among tennis fans due to the controversial history between the two.

Against team Hawks' Jordan Thompson and Sumit Nagal, Kites' Nick Kyrgios and Casper Ruud scored a 6-4 win. Later, Kyrgios took to Instagram and wrote:

"Funny how things do a 360 🤷🏽‍♂️ - what we calling this duo @casperruud 😤 absolute pleasure playing alongside you 🙏🏽🗣️"

Nick Kyrgios' post was later shared on X (formerly Twitter) by journalist Jose Morgado.

Fans though, were critical of Kyrgios and Casper Ruud seemingly burying their hatchet. Several fans wondered why Ruud and multiple other players choose to keep friendly ties with Kyrgios in light of the Australian's often-controversial remarks directed at his peers. The relationship between Kyrgios and Ruud hit a low in 2021 after the former made a crass comment involving the Norwegian's mother.

"Why are these players so adamant to be friends with him? Are they scared that he’ll s**t on them next orr???? Very weird, but what can you expect lol," a fan wrote.

"Casper should be embarrassed and Nick is clearly not very intelligent. Like if things did a 360 that means they ended up in the same place… open up the schools," commented another fan.

"Disappointed by Ruud," another chimed in.

"These men are such f**king losers. He shredded your ass on social media for years and you’re buddy buddy now as he backs off you and steers his target of bull s**t onto other players," stated yet another fan.

There were others who primarily lambasted Kyrgios.

"Kyrgios is 100% one of those guys who trash talks someone online and then sees them in person and immediately backs down," suggested one fan.

"He doesn’t even know the difference between 180 and 360 but he wants to talk about contaminated medications," another stated sarcastically, referring to Kyrgios' incessant jibes at Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek over their doping rows.

In 2022, ahead of his United Cup campaign in Norway, Ruud had said that his feud with Kyrgios had ended.

"If Nick Kyrgios and I see each other we can say hello" - Casper Ruud in 2022

Casper Ruud (Source: Getty)

At a press conference in the buildup to the 2022 United Cup, Casper Ruud was asked if there had been any improvement in his relationship with Nick Kyrgios. The Norwegian revealed that he did not think of the Australian negatively and even joked about the pair potentially sending each other Christmas cards.

"I didn't receive a Christmas card from him nor he a Chrissie one from me but if we see each other we can say hello. There are no hard feelings," Ruud said.

Casper Ruud and Nick Kyrgios have faced each other on two occasions on the ATP Tour. Their first meeting came at the 2019 Italian Open, with the Norwegian coming up trumps. However, the Aussie leveled up the head-to-head after defeating Ruud at the 2022 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

Kyrgios and Ruud's team at the World Tennis League, the Kites eventually lost their tie to the Hawks and were unable to qualify for the final.