Rafael Nadal’s rivalry with Nick Kyrgios served up a number of captivating clashes on the ATP Tour.
Their first meeting came at Wimbledon in 2014, when, in a shocking upset on Centre Court, 19-year-old Kyrgios defeated Nadal, denying him a quarterfinal appearance at the All England Club for the third consecutive year.
Other notable bouts between the Spaniard and the Australian include their enthralling five-setters in London and Melbourne in 2019 and 2020, respectively, as well as their last career matchup at the 2022 Indian Wells Open.
Perhaps the most dramatic chapter in their head-to-head, however, came in Acapulco six years ago.
Rafael Nadal’s 2019 meeting with Nick Kyrgios in Acapulco
The two met for the sixth time in the second round of the Mexican Open, in a match that saw Kyrgios clinch his third victory over the 22-time Grand Slam champion.
Ranked 72nd in the world at the time, he came back from a set down to emerge victorious 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, serving underarm late on during the match against Nadal, who was left agitated.
“He lacks respect for the public, his rival, and himself, said the former world number one after the loss.
“He’s a player who has the talent to win Grand Slams – a player who can fight for the top rankings, but there’s a reason he is where he is.”
“He is a very dangerous player but lacks consistency,” explained Nadal, before adding: “I don’t think he’s a bad guy. I think he’s a good guy.”
Kyrgios, who saved three match points in the third set tiebreak to beat the legend, fired back with a reply.
“I’m different, Rafa’s different,” he said. “He doesn’t know the journey I have been through. He doesn’t know anything about me, so I’m not going to listen at all.”
“That’s the way I play. He’s very slow in between points. The rule in the book says you have to play at the speed of the server. Rafa has the speed every time.
“I’m not going to comment on his game. He has got his game and I have got mine.”
Nick Kyrgios’ record against Rafael Nadal since their Acapulco clash
After their match in Acapulco, Nadal was undefeated against Kyrgios at ATP Tour-level competitions.
He came out on top against him at Wimbledon and the Australian Open, and won their last match at Indian Wells.
- 2019: Nadal beats Kyrgios in the second round of Wimbledon
- 2020: Nadal beats Kyrgios in the fourth round of the Australian Open
- 2022: Nadal beats Kyrgios in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Open
They were scheduled to face off in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 2022, but Nadal withdrew due to an abdominal tear, granting Kyrgios a maiden appearance in a Grand Slam final, which he lost to Novak Djokovic.
The head-to-head record between the two stars finished 6-3 in favour of the 39-year-old, who retired from tennis last year.
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