From heated rivalries to playful banter, Rafael Nadal and Nick Kyrgios have provided fans with countless memorable moments. However, after years of battling injuries and physical challenges, the clay court legend has finally decided to retire from professional tennis. While the tennis community was expecting this announcement, Nadal’s social media post still caught many off guard. But what did Nick Kyrgios have to say about his former rival’s retirement?

“Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis,” Nadal, who made his ATP Tour debut in 2002, said in the ‘retirement announcement video. “The reality is that is has been some difficult years, these last two especially. I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations,” he added further, pointing at the finish line of a career that the tennis world can never forget.

Soon after the update emerged on social media, Nick Kyrgios, the ATP star who was once involved in several controversies against the Spaniard, decided to drop his weapons and applaud the legend. Despite keeping himself away from the courts and navigating a career as a commentator, the Australian wrote, “Rafa don’t retire. I wanna play you 1 last time.” This not only marked an end to their feud but also showed the widespread respect that members of the tennis community hold for the legend.

However, it didn’t seem like Kyrgios was done with just this. Minutes after his first response, the Australian dropped another update, adding more to the sentimental story. “We had our differences but you were one hell of a warrior. Best wishes and goodluck with whatever comes next,” he wrote.

In a total of 9 matches played against each other, Nick Kyrgios managed to win only 3 of them. Their latest showdown was scheduled back at the Wimbledon 2022 semi-finals where the Spaniard was forced to withdraw because of an ‘abdominal injury’. “As everybody saw yesterday, I had been suffering with pain in the abdominal. I was not OK there, as yesterday I said. That’s confirmed,” he said, announcing the exit. Let’s take a moment to reflect back on Nadal and Kyrgios rivalry.

Rafael Nadal’s rivalry with Nick Kyrgios at a glance; when Rafa accused Nick Kyrgios of lacking respect

Kyrgios’s first encounter with Nadal came at Wimbledon in 2014, where the 19-year-old sensationally defeated the two-time champion to reach the quarterfinals. However, their Mexican Open date five years later changed things completely.

Kyrgios upset Nadal in the second round of the ATP Tour tournament, rallying from a set down and saving three match points. The then 24-year-old showcased his impressive skills and on-court antics, including using underarm serves and complaining about Nadal’s slow serving pace.

Later in the post-match conference, the Spaniard accused his rival of lacking respect “for the public, the opponent and himself”. Kyrgios responded by saying: “He doesn’t know anything about me. So, I’m not going to listen at all. That’s the way I play.”

At the Indian Wells Masters in the same year, Nadal attempted to defuse tensions with Kyrgios, but his uncle Toni reignited the feud. In an interview with Radio Marca, Toni Nadal criticized Kyrgios, saying, “Rafa is totally right. He [Kyrgios] lacks education and smartness”.

Their rivalry escalated further at Wimbledon 2019 when Kyrgios unapologetically hit a volley straight at Nadal during their R64 match. Tensions continued when they faced off at the 2020 Australian Open, as Nadal later told reporters that he didn’t like the way Kyrgios does “stuff”. Their relationship remained icy since. As Nadal has finally decided to mark an end to his career, the heat, feud and everything else is left behind.