Nick Kyrgios has continued his unusual fanboy moment for Rafael Nadal. The Aussie ‘Bad Boy of Tennis’, despite sharing a bitter-sweet rivalry with the former World No. 1, has expressed his immense compassion on the Spaniard’s shock retirement announcement. Now, Kyrgios’ girlfriend Costeen Hatzi has joined forces with him to pour love on Nadal in these emotional times. But, will that make a difference to the 22-time Grand Slam champion? Apparently not.
The Spanish legend took fans by surprise a couple of days ago as he confirmed that the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga in November will account for his final professional commitment. Nadal’s physical restraints hampered his comeback journey long enough, prompting him to draw the curtains on his legendary career. Naturally surprised with the update, Kyrgios immediately took to his social media and responded to Nadal’s retirement statement saying: “We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. Best wishes and good luck with whatever comes next.” But that wasn’t the end of it.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist came up with another adorable tweet for the Spanish maestro. The former World No. 13 captioned the post: “Bye Rafael Nadal, honestly you were one of my biggest motivations to get better. Good luck with whatever comes next.” Kyrgios’ lover and Instagram influencer Costeen Hatzi also added a few words of admiration for the 38-year-old, as she labeled the Spaniard’s stellar resume as “iconic.” However, what’s interesting is that despite all these messages, Kyrgios hasn’t got a response from Nadal yet.
For those unaware, Kyrgios hasn’t had much luck touring the circuit lately. Amid multiple injuries, the Aussie’s last recorded performance came in 2023 – bowing out in the opening round of the Stuttgart Open. Looking to find a suitable replacement for his on-court absence, the 29-year-old found shelter in the commentary box, with his latest assignment for ESPN at the US Open.
As far as Nadal is concerned, not just Kyrgios, but almost all the notable players including Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and many more shared heartfelt messages for him, wishing him all the best for his future endeavors in his off-court journey. Rafa himself reserved the choices of words to term his retirement. His announcement was as classy as it could get.
Rafael Nadal credits his rivals for making his tennis journey memorable
Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal added the perfect conclusion to his two-decade-long career. “In this life, everything has a beginning and an end. And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.”
Remarking on his journey wasn’t the only thing that Rafa did. The 22-time Major winner had an emotional take when it came to rivalry. Thanking his long-standing rivals Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray, Nadal paid his respects to their years-long journey on the ATP saying: “I feel super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry, all the people involved in this sport, my longtime colleagues, especially my great rival.”
Before marking his appearance at the Davis Cup and representing his nation for one last time – with countryman Carlos Alcaraz joining him for his last hurrah, Nadal will play in the Six Kings Slam exhibition tournament in Saudi Arabia.
