Rafael Nadal already made his thoughts on Nick Kyrgios ‘very clear’ back in 2019 after beating him at Wimbledon

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Rafael Nadal is one of the many players who didn’t see eye-to-eye with Nick Kyrgios, who is now making a long-awaited return to tennis.

There is, however, seemingly still time for the iconic pair to repair that relationship, even if Nadal has now retired from tennis.

Kyrgios was once a big rival of Novak Djokovic, but the duo have put their issues to one side in recent times.

Djokovic will play doubles with Kyrgios at the Brisbane International, with the latter then making his return to Grand Slam tennis at the 2025 Australian Open.

Nadal and Kyrgios regularly came face-to-face in Grand Slam tournaments in their prime, with the Spaniard often left angered by the controversial Australian.

Nick Kyrgios says why he used to ‘despise’ Rafael Nadal

And ahead of his return, he has been discussing his views on his former rival, with Kyrgios saying he ‘couldn’t stand’ Nadal.

“I used to hate and despise him so much when I saw him walking around,” he added. “He was one guy who always motivated me.”

READ MORE: The first official tournament Rafael Nadal will attend since his retirement

Remarkably, it was Nadal who came under fire from the crowd when they met at Wimbledon in 2019, with the Spanish icon booed for seemingly taking too long between serves.

An impatient Kyrgios awaited on the court, having felt his opponent was intentionally slowing down the pace of the match.

When Rafael Nadal made his thoughts on Nick Kyrgios ‘very clear’

They endured previous tension in Mexico earlier that year, with Nadal accusing Kyrgios of disrespect after several underarm serves.

And when asked about the comments at Wimbledon, the Spaniard confirmed: “My thoughts are very clear, no? I play against a top talent player, very dangerous player when he wants to play tennis.

“Normally against the best players, he wants to play tennis. When that happens, he’s a very dangerous opponent.”

READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios reacts on social media after Pat Rafter says he could reach the Australian Open semi-finals

The intriguing rivalry continued at the 2020 Australian Open, where Kyrgios mocked his fellow athlete by imitating his pre-service routine after receiving a time violation in his second-round clash.

Unsurprisingly, Nadal was unimpressed: “When he plays good tennis and he shows passion for this game, he is a positive player for our tour and I want my tour bigger, not smaller.

“When he’s ready to play his best tennis and play with passion, (he) is one of these guys. When he’s doing the other stuff, of course I don’t like.”

What did Rafael Nadal say about Nick Kyrgios ahead of the 2023 Australian Open?

Two years later, perhaps the most significant sign of an easing in tensions arrived, with Nadal hyping Kyrgios ahead of the 2023 Australian Open.

“I know he doesn’t like a lot to play Roland Garros,” said the Spaniard. “That’s the only tournament that looks like he doesn’t like to play that much.

“The rest of the tournaments, he played final in Wimbledon, and in New York he was close to the finals I think, with a very positive chance.

“He can win in any tournament that he’s playing. He has all the talent, the weapons to win against any player. Of course, he can.”