Nick Kyrgios [left] and Novak Djokovic

Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has long been one of Novak Djokovic’s harshest critics but says the world No.1 deserves better treatment than the humiliation he’s enduring right now.

Kyrgios, who isn’t playing in this week’s Australian Open lead-up tournaments due to illness, defended Djokovic, who is locked up in hotel quarantine in Melbourne and facing deportation after arriving in Australia without a proper medical exemption from vaccination.

Kyrgios, who is currently ranked world No.93, is pro-vaccination but called the situation really bad.

Kyrgios blasted the Serbian superstar in 2020 for his ill-fated Adria tour, calling it a “bone-headed decision” and then described him as a “tool” after the nine-time Open champion’s comments about quarantine last year.

But Kyrgios said late last year he felt it was “morally wrong” to force people like Djokovic to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

[Source: AAP]