Novak Djokovic drops huge US Open hint after Nick Kyrgios reminded him of Wimbledon bet

Novak Djokovic has dropped a huge social media hint that he maintains hope of competing at the US Open later this year. The Serb is set to encounter problems entering the USA due to his Covid vaccine status, and he sparked a frenzy among fans after replying to Nick Kyrgios, who reminded him about a dinner bet that the pair made at Wimbledon. 

Djokovic won the hard way in south west London, having dropped the opening set in each of his last three matches. But he showed typical resilience to fight back against Jannik Sinner, Cameron Norrie and finally Kyrgios to get the job done and clinch his seventh Wimbledon title. 

The blockbuster meeting with Kyrgios on Centre Court seemed to solidify their budding ‘bromance’, and the Aussie took the opportunity to remind his opponent that they had agreed to have dinner together by commenting on an Instagram video of Djokovic celebrating his victory at the All England Club. 

Straight to the point as ever, Kyrgios said: “Where is my dinner!!!!!!”, before Djokovic responded: “Sorry mate. I called all the restaurants in London on Sunday night and there was no tables available. Dinner is on my in NYC,” followed by a series of emojis including a shocked face, a prayer and crossed fingers. 

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The US Open is held in New York every year, although as it stands, Djokovic will not be allowed to enter the country due to being unvaccinated. The Serb encountered a similar problem in Australia back in January, becoming caught up in a global saga that saw him controversially deported and unable to defend his title. 

Due to recent developments, it seems as though Djokovic may be allowed back to Melbourne next year with new Aussie Prime Minister Anthony Albanese poised to take a lenient approach to the situation. The 35-year-old will naturally hope for a similar change of tune from US authorities, so that he can add to the three titles he has already won at Flushing Meadows. 

Kyrgios was one of the only players to publicly stick up for Djokovic during his high-profile vaccine saga before the Australian Open. The 27-year-old was in outstanding form at SW19 over the past two weeks, and extending his purple patch could see the pair meet again at the US Open if both manage another deep Grand Slam run. 

Despite losing the Wimbledon final on Sunday, Kyrgios maintains a winning record against Djokovic overall, having beaten him twice back in 2017. The current world rankings are arguably not representative for either player, mostly due to the ATP and WTA’s decision to strip Wimbledon of ranking points due to their ban on Russian and Belarusian competitors at this year’s tournament. 

Kyrgios would have catapulted all the way up to No 15 in the world had his run to the final been rewarded with ranking points, which would have given him a coveted top-16 seeding at the US Open. Instead, he dropped down five places to No 45 which could make his path to the latter stages tougher. 

Djokovic fans are equally miffed that the Serb has tumbled down from third in the world to seventh, despite his imperious displays at Wimbledon. With 21 Grand Slam titles now in the bank, he is closing in on Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time charts. 

source: express.co.uk