Wimbledon 2019: 'I wanted to hit him' - Nick Kyrgios admits he was aiming for Rafael Nadal in clash
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 05/07/2019 at 07:43 GMT
Nick Kyrgios admitted he was trying to hit Rafa Nadal with a shot in their fiery Wimbledon second-round match.
Rafael Nadal of Spain shakes hands at the net with Nick Kyrgios of Australia after their Men's Singles second round match during Day four of The Championships - Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England
Image credit: Getty Images
The Australian, who lost the match 6-3 3-6 7-6 7-6, appeared to aim a shot at his Spanish opponent at one point and revealed afterwards he was attempting to hit him in the chest.
Asked if he should have apologised – as is generally the etiquette in the sport – Kyrgios said: “Why would I apologise? I won the point.
"The dude has got how many Slams, how much money in the bank account? I think he can take a ball to the chest.
When a reporter then followed up by asking if Kyrgios was aiming at the two-time champion, Kyrgios replied: "I was going for him. I wanted to hit him square in the chest."
Nadal was not happy about the shot, saying: "It is not dangerous for me, it is dangerous for a line referee, dangerous for a crowd.
"When you hit the ball like this, you don't know where the ball goes.
The match did nothing to dim the perception of the rivalry – which Kyrgios has described as ‘super salty’ in the past.
And Kyrgios also took issue with the umpire during the match as well as Nadal’s slow play on court.
"The umpire today was horrendous,” added Kyrgios. “I mean, he was terrible
"The rule is like play to the speed of the server. Why do I have to wait for Rafa to get into his rhythm every time?
"I thought the way he handled the match was just bad."
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement