Nick Kio the fiery and often controversial Australian tennis star has stunned the tennis world once again but this time it's not for his uncaught Antics or candid social media outbursts instead KY has captured headlines for an unexpected display of admiration towards a player he once criticized openly Casper rude at the ongoing US Open kyos took to his official social media account to express his genuine enjoyment of rud's performance this marks a significant departure from his previous views on the Norwegian Star whom he once labeled as boring this sudden shift has left fans and commentators alike questioning whether this is a new chapter in kyo's often tumultuous tennis Journey the history between Kyo and rude has been anything but friendly their rivalry reached a boiling point back in 2019 during the room Masters where kyos frustrated by a call famously threw a chair onto the court leading to his disqualification rude who went on to win the match by default didn't hold back in his criticism of Kyo even calling for a six Monon ban for the Australians Behavior the tension escalated as the two exchanged sharp words on social media with Kio firing back at rude saying he would rather watch paint drve than watch him play tennis fast forward to the present and the narrative has taken a surprising turn after rude's impressive victory over Gail monels to reach the third round of the US Open kyos publicly praised his former for stating rude going under the radar how times have turned I really enjoy watching his tennis real talk this statement has left many wondering if kyos known for his Unapologetic honesty has genuinely come to appreciate rude's game or if the is just another chapter in their complex relationship it's worth noting that kyos has not played a professional match since June 2023 with his last grand slam appearance being at the US Open in 2022 his time away from the court has seen him take on media duties at major tournaments perhaps giving him a new perspective on the sport and its players this could explain his soften stance towards rude as time away from the intense pressures of competition may have have allowed him to reassess his views kyu's comments come at a time when rude is making headlines for his strong performance in New York a stark contrast to his disappointing early exit from the tournament last year rude himself has been candid about his desire for Redemption at this year's US Open stating that last year's LW stung and motivated him to come back stronger his determination seems to have paid off and now even his former critic can't help but acknowledge the quality of his game as the US Open progresses it will be interesting to see if this newfound respect between kyos and rud will lead to a more amicable relationship or if the competitive fires will reignite once more for now kyu's praise for rude has added an unexpected twist to what was once one of tennis's most heated rivalries only time will tell if this is the beginning of a new friendship or simply a momentary truce in the ever dramatic world of tennis stay subscribed for more videos