Nadal Faces Potential Kyrgios Grudge Match At Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal could play Nick Kyrgios in Wimbledon’s second round and has been pitted in the same half of the draw as Roger Federer.

Nadal and Kyrgios do not get on with the controversial Australian fanning the flames of their feud with comments he made in a podcast last month.

Speaking of the Spanish left-hander, he said: “He’s my polar opposite, like literally my polar opposite. And he’s super salty.

“When he wins, it’s fine. He won’t say anything bad, he’ll credit the opponent, ‘He was a great player.’ But as soon as I beat him, it’s just like, ‘He has no respect for me, my fans and no respect to the game.’

And I’m like, ‘What are you talking about. I literally played this way when I beat you the other previous times and nothing changed, nothing changed. I was the same person’.

“It’s not a good look for you, I feel. And then Uncle Toni (Nadal) came out saying, ‘He lacks education’. I’m like, ‘Bra, I did 12 years at school, you idiot. I’m very educated. I understand that you’re upset I beat your family again’.”

Nadal is the world number two but has been seeded third behind 37-year-old legend Federer. The 33-year-old Nadal, a two-time former champion at SW19, has said it “doesn’t seem fair” to be seeded behind Federer, who is ranked third in the world.

Nadal faces Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita in the first round, with Kyrgios meeting fellow Australian Jordan Thompson for the right to face him.