Rafael Nadal is through to the third round of Wimbledon after earning a hard-fought win over Nick Kyrgios on Centre Court.
Two-time winner Rafa required three hours and three minutes to overcome his opponent, who battled back to level up at 1-1 but did not have enough to prevent the crowd favourite from progressing. With a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3) win, our champ notched up his 50th victory at Wimbledon
After the match, Rafa told BBC:
I was aware of everything [Kyrgios’s complaints to the umpire], I was just next to him. I don’t want to comment on this. It is tough to see some things on court sometimes. It is so difficult to win tie-breaks against Nick, but I was serving well.
Rafa will now face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Saturday.
Rafael Nadal ahead of his match against Nick Kyrgios on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal ahead of his match against Nick Kyrgios on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
4th July 2019, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, England, Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, Day 4; Rafael Nadal arrives for his game against Nick Kyrgios, Image: 454207161, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Profimedia, Actionplus
4th July 2019, The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon, England, Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, Day 4; A detail view of the racket and ball with Rafael Nadal (ESP) as he prepares to serve to Nick Kyrgios (AUS) (photo by Shaun Brooks/Action Plus via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain serves in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain smiles in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain smiles in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain plays a forehand in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Nick Kyrgios (right) and Rafael Nadal are given their towels during their match on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal during his match against Nick Kyrgios on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal reacts during his match on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: A detailed view of the shoes of Rafael Nadal of Spain in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal in action during his match on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal reacts during his match on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal reacts during his match on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates after winning the third set in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates the victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts in his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal (ESP) celebrates after winning his match against Nick Kyrgios (AUS) in their Gentleman’s Singles Second Round match during Day 4 of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 4, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Rob Newell – CameraSport via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates the victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Shi Tang/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Rafael Nadal celebrates victory over Nick Kyrgios on day four of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 04: Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates victory as he walks off the court after his Men’s Singles second round match against Nick Kyrgios of Australia during Day four of The Championships – Wimbledon 2019 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on July 04, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Kevin Anderson, world #8 BUT seeded #4 at Wimby just crashed out of his third round match vs Guido Pella. I hope Wimbledon is saying “Oops.”
RAFAMAZING ROCKS
Yes, à surprise 😕 shame for him but I think Rafa will .be pleased for PElla as he is a South American and he likes to see them do well in Europe. 😀 Anderson has affinity with England . Fiona in Paris
You did it again with strength courage and humility!!! You are truly one of a kind🤗🤗🤗🤩🤩🤩😘😘
For such bad behavior,the companies that endorse him should cut him off. If his finances suffer maybe he’ll learn to be civil. What a stark contrast between him and Rafa!
Vamos Rafa sos el mas grande te queremos!!!
Oh Rafa I’m so relieved like many others. I was getting very worried but I knew you would triumph in the end. It must have been so difficult when Kyrgios was messing around so congrats.you are so professional and a true asset to everyone who plays tennis. I dread the day when you stop!
Many best wishes and love and keep it going!
From your greatest fan!
Jo
VAMOS
Great victory!!!
You made My Day! I was thrilled to see you beat Kyrgios today. He deserve a spanking for his attitude and poor sportsmanship. Admitting he purposely his Nadal with the ball, is beyond poor sportsmanship. The best won today. Vamos Rafa you’re the Boss!
Congratulations, Rafa! You rule! It is always a pleasure to watch you compete and play your heart out. You always play in the right way with the right intensity and motivation. Have a good recovery and I wish you all the best in round 3 against Jo Willy Tsongsa. Also glad Tsonga is back in the mix!
Huge congratulations Rafa . You fought very hard against a tough opponent.
So proud of you and so happy you are into the third round.
You are a true Champion.
I have been a fan of yours for over sixteen years..
The very best of luck against Tsonga .
I hope you go on snd win the tournament.. xxx
Congrats Rafa! You could tell how thrilled he was to win today. I loved the finger wag.
Congratulations Rafa!🎉 You made me very happy and so proud😘 You did a fantastic job against an unpredictable opponent👍👏All the best and Vamos!🍀💪❤️
Way to go Rafa i am so proud of u today you stood up and played well against a player that can serve very big, a guy who gets a lot of free points because of his huge serve u are the better players because u can make better shots then him because u know how to play the game much the smarter player . Way to go.
RAFA OMG .. what a match you played today wow you were so spot on . I WAS PRAYING you beat that JERK i cant believe how IMATURE he is . I think he is crazy to but he has got a lot better i can say that . YOUR performance today my friend NO ONE CAN SAY YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS PLAYING ON GRASS.. Now TAKE HOME THAT TROPHY .. VAMOS RAFA . love ya michele..
Congratulations to dear Rafa! I watched the beginning until NK got weird. Also I couldn’t understand how fans supported him considering his terrible behavior. Are they just clueless or stupid? In any case I did watch the very end and am so very happy Rafa was strong. His outburst of joy at the end of the match made his win that much more thrilling and commendable. You can tell he was under stress, and Wimbledon seeding is partly responsible. Best of luck, Rafa. You ended it in 3, so that will be great for your recovery. You served sooooo well!!!!
It was a four-setter. Nick won the second set. For me, the important things are that Rafa WON the match AND the two tiebreaks. Sooo very happy.
RAFA ROCKS
I think DG meant he won in 3 hours, not 3 sets.
Rafa… he is just so cool…so calm… Just saw his press conference …
He’s such a pro in how he handles himself and all those dumb questions he is asked over and over again about Nick and he calmly addressed them all including a question about Nicks shot that almost hit him….
Rafa explained that he’s a pro and knows how to get out of the way…. but a shot like that could have gone far and hit a line judge or ball boy or someone in the stands… “It’s dangerous…” And he points out that’s where respect for the game comes in… or lack there of….
Beautifully stated Rafa…
He did say he will do ” a little” work tomorrow… as he’s done a lot of work today! Yes you have!! 🙂
VAMOS RAFA!!!
Nick is a jerk. That idiot tried everything to make Rafa uncomfortable. Bt their is one rule in tennis that he forgot- don’t make Rafa Nadal angry. Rafa was really upset with his antics which made him even more determined to send that clown packing.
Next is another tough opponent bt a nice guy in Tsonga . The match will be tough because Tsonga is playing well at the moment but we believe in u.
Vamos no.19 at sw19
Well done Rafa. You showed steely determination in battle, considering all the distractions from your opponent. We could see how much this victory meant to you after all the sour talk from Nick, both off and on the court. It’s so disappointing to see someone with so much natural talent behave in that way, but that’s his choice.
Now you can get some good rest, ready for your next encounter. Good luck moving forward.
I have not seen the match on TV but got the impression that NK today was rather on edge , inconsistant and not agressive to his own advantage 😕 just negative. Nadal was calm. ☺ Fiona in Paris