Australian tennis maverick Nick Kyrgios has come under fire from fans online following his reaction to Rafael Nadal’s retirement from the sport.
Kyrgios, 29, tweeted on X: ‘We had our differences but you were a great warrior. Best wishes and good luck with whatever comes next.”
And it didn’t take long for an avalanche of criticism to be directed at the polarizing star.
‘Did we have our differences?’ “You are literally a disgrace to the sport and the world,” enraged one fan.
Another posted in response: ‘Are you really putting yourself and Nadal in the same sentence?
A third brutally intervened: “He (Nadal) was a champion, unlike you.”
A fourth said: “He doesn’t even know who you are.”
Kyrgios had some tremendous matches and held clashes with Nadal, dating back to their first clash at Wimbledon 10 years ago, when the Canberra boy first made an international name for himself with an impressive four-set victory.
Australian tennis maverick Nick Kyrgios has come under fire from fans online following his reaction when Rafael Nadal confirmed he would be retiring from the sport.
A furious tennis fan has branded Nick Kyrgios a “disgrace to the sport and the world”.
Another felt Nadal was “a champion” and the Australian star was a “clown” in comparison.
Many tennis fans were quick to vent their fury against Kyrgios in X (pictured)
Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal have had differences dating back more than a decade (pictured, at Indian Wells in 2022)
In 2014, a baby-faced Nick Kyrgios announced himself to the tennis world by beating Nadal in four sets at Wimbledon (pictured).
They later had an infamous fight at the Mexico Open in 2019 when Kyrgios complained that Nadal was taking too long between serves and the Spaniard angered the Australian afterwards by saying that he “lacks respect for the crowd, the opponent and himself.”
Although Kyrgios crashed the ball directly into Nadal’s chest in another Wimbledon clash in 2019 and did not apologize later, the underlying respect was obvious when the Australian spoke of his regret in 2022 that the Spaniard had to retire injured before the semi-finals. of Wimbledon. end.
“Rafa, don’t retire, I want to play against you last time,” Kyrgios, who lost six of his nine matches, wrote on X overnight.
‘Curse. I have had nightmares that have woken me up about Rafa. I’m going to miss them. He was someone I used to prepare for. ‘He was a motivation, I guess an inspiration. Damn, it’s true, people bring out the best in you. You were one of those people.
Meanwhile, Nadal’s great rival Roger Federer led the tributes, saying: ‘What a race, Rafa! I always hoped this day would never come. Thank you for the unforgettable memories and all your incredible achievements in the game we love. It’s been an absolute honour!’
Carlos Alcaraz, with whom Nadal hopes to win the Davis Cup with Spain next month, added: “From the boy who watched you on television and dreamed of being a tennis player to the one who had the immense gift of playing alongside you at Roland Garros.” Representing Spain in the Olympic Games!
‘Thank you very much for being an example at all levels, your legacy is unrepeatable.’
World number one Jannik Sinner said: “This is difficult news for the entire tennis world, and not just the tennis world.” “He’s an incredible person.”
Nadal, 38, turned professional in 2001 and won 92 ATP-level singles titles.
At the French Open on clay, Nadal was virtually unbeatable, winning a staggering 14 grand slams at Roland Garros.
She also won the US Open four times, as well as Wimbledon and the Australian Open twice.
