Rafael Nadal has avoided stirring the pot ahead of a potential second-round clash with Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon after the Australian labelled the Spanish great a “super salty” loser.
Nadal begins his campaign for a third title at the grand slam on Tuesday against Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita.
However after the seemingly straightforward opener things promise to get difficult quickly, with a potential second-round clash against Kyrgios.
The unpredictable Australian has beaten Nadal at Wimbledon back in 2014 and also this year in Acapulco. An extra edge has been added to the contest after Kyrgios’ comments about the Spaniard’s reaction to losing.
Nadal is refusing to be drawn on the possible match-up.
Asked about his relationship with Kyrgios, he said: “I don’t know Nick, being honest. I don’t want to talk about Nick much because I am not playing against Nick. I am playing against Sugita.
“Every match is tough. If I am able to win my match and if Nick is able to win his match (against fellow Australian Jordan Thompson), you will have the time to ask me about the next match, no? That’s all.”
Nadal is adamant he’ll be ready to launch another title bid at the All England Club despite taking a tumble in practice and losing two warm-up matches.
The Spaniard, who looked in prime form when winning a 12th French Open title three weeks ago, has sometimes found the quick cross-Channel transition from French clay dominance to English grass troublesome down the years.
Nadal, who chose to skip a grass court tournament warm-up and instead lost two exhibition matches to Marin Cilic and Lucas Pouille at the Hurlingham club in London, confirmed on Saturday that he had taken a fall in a practice session.
Yet the 18-times grand slam winner brushed aside the tumble, which happened earlier in the week.
“Yes, I fall over, but grass sometimes is slippery. Nothing happens. I am good, yeah. Nothing,” he said.
His two defeats at Hurlingham, though, suggested he has work to do to rediscover his best as he faces what looks a fiendishly difficult path in this year’s event.
The likes of Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov, Cilic and Dominic Thiem could be potential opponents even before possible clashes with the other two members of the “big three”, Roger Federer and champion Novak Djokovic.
Yet the 33-year-old, who has mixed two titles (2008, 2010) and five final appearances at Wimbledon with seven exits before the quarter-final stage, shrugged off any concerns.
“It’s day by day, step by step. I have been improving every single day since I arrived here. I hope to be ready, being honest. I think I see the normal evolution,” he said.
“In Hurlingham, I didn’t play bad, just played against players that have been playing on grass for many more days, competitive start.
“Every hour and every match I am able to win helps a lot because I am playing well, I am coming with good confidence after playing a good end of the clay court season.”
