Nick Kyrgios has paid tribute to his former rival Rafael Nadal following the tennis legend announcing his retirement from the sport on Thursday morning.
Nadal is undoubtedly one of the greatest to ever do it, winning 22 Grand Slam titles, including 14 French Open titles throughout his career.
Novak Djokovic (24) is the only male player to win more Grand Slam titles than Nadal in tennis history.
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The 38-year-old Spaniard confirmed his retirement by releasing an emotional video on his social media where he explained why he made the decision to finally end his career.
“It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make," Nadal said.
“But, in this life, everything has a beginning and an end. I think it is the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.
“I feel super lucky for all the things I have been able to experience,” Nadal added.
“I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my long-time colleagues, especially my great rivals."
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While he doesn't have the major tournament victories the likes of Djokovic and Federer have, Kyrgios is undoubtedly one of Nadal's biggest nemeses throughout his career.
Throughout their careers, the pair have met nine times, with Nadal winning on six occasions compared to Kyrgios' three victories.
Following Nadal's announcement Kyrgios took to X to pay tribute to his rival, begging him to reconsider so they can run it back one last time.
"Rafa don’t retire I wanna play you 1 last time," Kyrgios wrote.
He later added: "We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. Best wishes and good luck with whatever comes next.
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"Damn. I’ve had nightmares that have woke me up about Rafa I’m gonna miss them. This was someone that I used to prepare for he was a motivation - I guess an inspiration. F**k - it’s true- people do bring the best out of you. You were one of those people damn….." He concluded.
The pair have had many spats over the years and one of their more notable differences came in 2019 when Nadal called out the Aussie for his on-court antics.
“He lacks respect for the crowd, his opponent, and towards himself," Nadal claimed.
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Kyrgios is well known for his rather explosive temperament, with the 29-year-old receiving his fair share of fines over the years.
Topics: Tennis, Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer
Tom Jenkins