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Nick
Kyrgios spoke about his feelings towards Rafael Nadal during the early years of
his career and how they changed leading up to the retirement of the 22-time
Grand Slam champion. The Australian had several tense matches against Rafa in a
rivalry that always sparked fireworks.

One
particularly memorable moment was Kyrgios’ breakthrough at Wimbledon 2014.
Already showcasing his remarkable talent, Kyrgios had received a wildcard from
the organisers. He stunned the 13th seed Richard Gasquet in the second round
and caused an even bigger shock in the fourth round when he defeated World No.
2 Rafael Nadal (7-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-3) to advance to the quarterfinals.

It was an
incredibly tense encounter where Nadal appeared frustrated by Kyrgios’ underarm
serves and unorthodox game style, which posed a significant challenge to the
Spaniard. In their nine total encounters, Nadal leads 6-3, a record that few
players can boast against the former World No. 1.

Kyrgios reveals why Nadal brought out his best

In a recent
appearance on the Nothing Major Podcast, the former World No. 13
revealed why he always brought his best when playing Nadal.
“I couldn’t stand him. I used to hate and despise him so much when I saw him
walking around. He was one guy who always motivated me,” Kyrgios admitted.

“If I
played him, I would get up for it and try and get the best tennis I could
possibly play. I didn’t feel that anger towards Roger or Novak when I played
them,” he added.

“If I
played Rafa, because everyone in our academies back home idolised him, they
were like, ‘He is such a hard worker, he’s this and that.’ I was like, ‘I can’t
stand this guy.’ I wanted to show people you could just have fun, be chilled,
and still beat people like that.”

Another
tense moment came during their clash at Wimbledon 2019, where Kyrgios even hit
Nadal with the ball during a rally, an incident that clearly angered the
Spaniard, who shot him a threatening glare. Nadal ultimately avenged his 2014
SW19 defeat, sealing a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6 victory.

In recent
years, however, Kyrgios’ perspective has changed. He admitted he was moved by
Nadal’s retirement announcement. “Did you see that tribute they played for him
at the Davis Cup? I got a bit emotional for him,” Kyrgios shared. “He had a
hell of a career. I don’t think we will ever see someone as dominant as him on
clay, there’s no way. I don’t think it’s possible.”