'Legendary status': Nick Kyrgios preps for Nadal clash at the pub
Nick Kyrgios has been preparing for his highly anticipated clash with Rafael Nadal in a way only Nick Kyrgios could.
By hanging out at the pub.
The simmering tension between Kyrgios and Nadal has been brewing for months, with many believing the feud could come to a head in their second-round clash at Wimbledon on Friday morning (AEST).
The pair have already delivered once this year, when Kyrgios prevailed in a blockbuster showdown at the Mexican Open.
After Kyrgios declared he and Nadal were unlikely to “go down to the Dog & Fox and have a beer together,” the fiery Australian displayed his trademark cheek by rocking up to the aforementioned pub 24 hours later.
Multiple reporters confirmed Kyrgios was at the pub until just before midnight.
The latest jab in the long-running feud divided opinion, with some seeing the funny side, while others felt Kyrgios was disrespecting his opponent - and the game.
The night before he plays Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios is out at a Wimbledon pub. Legendary status. https://t.co/CVZKG7L0Nd
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 3, 2019
I hope Nick Kyrgios wins against Rafael Nadal - in the absence of real talent in the young generation, at least bad boys keep tennis from becoming boring
— The Bad Doctor (@DOCTORATLARGE) July 4, 2019
Regardless of what people think of @NickKyrgios the bloke is box office entertainment, never a dull moment, not everyone's cup of tea but I love watching him play, extraordinary talent.
— Mark Alvey (@alvey5) July 2, 2019
Kyrgios says he ‘won’t change’
Kyrgios admits he's struggling to strike a balance between fire and ice after flirting with first-round defeat at Wimbledon.
Tennis's most mercurial character denied fellow Australian Jordan Thompson in five typically lively and drama-charged sets in which he argued with the chair umpire, abused a linesperson, cursed himself and heckled and joked with spectators.
"I'm never going to change. I used to be like this when I played under 12s, 14s," Kyrgios said after needing 23 aces, a medical time-out, countless F-bombs and three hours, 26 minutes of ebbing and flowing to see off Thompson 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 7-6 (12-10) 0-6 6-1.
"I just go out there, have fun, play the game how I want it to be played.
"At the end of the day, I know people are going to watch. Like, they can say the way I play isn't right or he's classless for the sport, all that sort of stuff.
"They're probably still going to be there watching. Doesn't really make sense."
