Nick Kyrgios Makes Bold Comment About ‘Punching’ Rafael Nadal

While Nadal called time on his career at the 2024 Davis Cup after Spain’s quarterfinal defeat to eventual runners-up Netherlands, Kyrgios made his comeback after 18 months at the Brisbane International this year, finishing the season with only one match win at the Miami Open. He was last seen in action at the Citi Open, where he paired up with France’s Gael Monfils and lost the first round match.

Nadal’s last singles match was in the final of the Nordea Open against Nuno Borges. He met the 2022 Wimbledon finalist nine times, winning six matches. Toward the end of this month, Kyrgios will be in action once again, though, in an unofficial Battle of the Sexes match against women’s World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Sam Querrey on what Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz do which is similar to what Rafael Nadal does

Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz have set themselves apart from the rest of the field thanks to their sheer dominance, which in turn has secured their spot in the top two places of the rankings table, so much so that World No.3 Alexander Zverev trails them by more than 6000 points. During an episode of the Nothing Major podcast, Sam Querrey said another great thing about them is that they don’t complain about anything, just like Rafael Nadal.

Sinner and Alcaraz, especially, they never complain about anything. You never hear them go, ‘The court speeds were slower or faster today, I don’t like these balls.’ But a lot of times, the rest of the field, you hear little chirpings. These two, especially, just like Rafa, not a peep of complaining, it feels like. I feel like that’s another semi-superpower.

Sam Querrey said on the Nothing Major podcast

Sinner and Alcaraz have won a combined 14 titles from 22 finals this year. The 22-year-old finished the season with eight titles, while the Italian took home six. While Querrey compared them to Nadal, John Isner compared them to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic.

I don’t think it’s infrequent at all. I think what the greats do, Sinner, an Alcaraz, a Novak, their movement isn’t going to let them down. So they’ll just lock you down that way. If they’re not feeling the ball that well, they just make more balls than you; that’s what they do, that’s their special power, their movement, and the way they make you go for too much. If they’re not feeling so confident to shoot for the lines.

John Isner said

Sinner and Alcaraz have won the last eight Majors, with Djokovic being the last player other than them to lift a Grand Slam title (2023 US Open). The Serb ended the season with two ATP 500 titles, which he won at the Geneva Open and the Hellenic Championship. In the Grand Slam events, he failed to go beyond the semifinals.