"Against one of the GOATs" - Nick Kyrgios revisits his "epic" victory over Rafael Nadal in Acapulco
Nick Kyrgios recently revisited his 2019 thriller against Rafael Nadal at the Mexican Open in Acapulco.
Kyrgios won the 2019 edition of the ATP 500 tournament after defeating three top 10 players, which included Nadal. The Aussie faced the Spaniard in the Round of 16 and got off to a disastrous start as Nadal dominated the first set, winning 6-3.
However, Kyrgios came roaring back into the match and went toe-to-toe with Nadal. He forced a tiebreak in the second set and was clinical as he stormed to a 7-6(2) win. The third set went to a tiebreak as well. While Nadal put up a much better fight here than he did in the previous set, it was Kyrgios who won it 7-6(6).
After ousting top-seeded Nadal, Kyrgios went on to beat Stan Wawrinka, John Isner, and Alexander Zverev to win the title. At the time, Kyrgios' triumph marked his fifth singles ATP Tour-level title.
Recently, the 28-year-old revisited the highlights of his 2019 thriller against Nadal in Acapulco and shared a video of it on social media.
"Throwback to this epic against one of the GOATs Rafa.... one of my favorite tournaments.... Miss you Mexico," Kyrgios wrote in an Instagram post.
Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal got involved in a war of words after their 2019 Mexico Open contest
Following the conclusion of the match, both Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal traded barbs as they spoke to the media. The Spaniard, who disapproved of Kyrgios' notorious underarm serves during the match, spoke out against the Aussie.
"I don't think he was doing it to bother me, I think he makes a show [underhand serves]... I don't think he's a bad guy, not at all. I think he's a good guy, but what he lacks is a little for the public, for his rival, and also for himself. I think he should improve that." Nadal said during his post-match press conference (via Tennis.com).
Kyrgios hit back at the Spaniard after he was asked about his thoughts on Nadal's remarks after the match.
"I'm different. Rafa is different. He should focus on what he needs to," the Aussie said.
Nadal's pace between points was also criticized by Kyrgios.
"He doesn't know me. So I'm not going to listen at all. That's the way I play. The way he plays, he's very slow between points."
Both Kyrgios and Nadal are sitting out this year's Mexican Open. While there's still no clarity on when the Aussie will return, the Spaniard is set to return to competitive action at the Indian Wells Masters.