Nick Kyrgios has sent a classy 10-word message to retired tennis legend Rafael Nadal, urging the Spaniard not to retire.
On Thursday, the 22-time Grand Slam champion announced that he will officially retire from professional tennis, after much speculation that he might hang up his racket in recent years.
The 14-time French Open winner made the announcement through an emotional video posted to his social media account, reflecting on his distinguished career in the sport.
But Nadal, 38, has been urged to reconsider his decision by Australian star Kyrgios, who wrote a message to the Spaniard on X (formerly Twitter).
Kyrgios wrote: “Rafa don’t retire, I want to play with you one last time.”
During their esteemed careers, the pair did not always see eye to eye on the court, with Nadal once appearing to accuse Kyrgios of disrespect, with the Australian star hitting back on social media after the pair faced off at the Mexican tournament. Opened in 2019.
Nick Kyrgios (right) urged Rafael Nadal (left) not to retire from professional tennis following the Spaniard’s announcement that he would be hanging up his racket.
However, in recent years, Kyrgios has shown his support for the Spanish legend, stating that Nadal’s premature exit from this year’s Australian Open “broke his heart.”
On Thursday, Kyrgios would post another classy post on X (formerly Twitter) acknowledging that the pair may have clashed at times, but paid tribute to the retiring tennis great.
Kyrgios wrote: ‘We had our differences but you were a great warrior. Best wishes and good luck with whatever comes next.”
Kyrgios stated that he did not want Nadal to retire because he wanted to play against him one last time.
The Australian also acknowledged that the two had their differences, but said Nadal was “a great warrior.”
More to follow…