Nick Kyrgios continues to be the villain tennis needs

With his Wimbledon post-match comments about a controversial shot at Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios continues to be the villain tennis needs.

Tennis is considered a “gentleman’s game” and those, like John McEnroe, that go to high levels to express emotion stand out. During a second-round match against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon on Thursday, Nick Kyrgios added to his resume as one such pot stirrer.

It was a hotly contested match throughout, with Kyrgios bemoaning Nadal’s pace of play and calling the chair umpire a “disgrace.” The two players have some history, and Kyrgios twice pulled off the underhand serve that drew ire from Nadal a few months ago on Thursday.

But during the third set of Thursday’s match, Kyrgios hit a powerful forehand right at Nadal. It could have been a mishit, but Nadal seemed to realize there was some intent and glared at Kyrgios.

Here’s a look at the rally, ended when Nadal was unable to return the forehand hit directly at him.

https://twitter.com/Vicehood/status/1146835389442772993

During his post-match press conference, Kyrgios was asked about the play and fully admitted he intended to hit the ball at Nadal.

“Why would I apologize? I mean, the dude has got how many Slams, how much money in the bank account?” Kyrgios said. “I think he can take a ball to the chest, bro. I’m not going to apologize to him at all.”

For his part, Nadal called out the reckless nature of Kyrgios’ move:

"When he hit the ball like this, (it) is dangerous for a line referee, dangerous for a crowd. … I know he’s a big, talented player, but I know when you hit this kind of ball, the ball can go anywhere. (The ball) almost hit me, no problem. I am professional, so I know how to avoid this. But another one, the ball goes straight to the back. So (it could’ve) been dangerous moment for the line umpire. That ball hits an eye or something like this, (it becomes) a problem."

The idea a ball hit at Nadal is any more dangerous than another ball hit within the court is a little aggressive. Kyrgios knew exactly what he was doing, and by getting his racket on the shot the way he did (and how few others can) Nadal minimized the risk of the ball going “anywhere”.

For a rivalry to be a truly great rivalry, the two sides have to win on close to the same level and face each other with titles on the line. With Thursday’s four-set win, Nadal moved to 4-3 against Kyrgios head-to-head (1-1 at Wimbledon). But Nadal also has 18 Grand Slam titles, with four titles since Kyrgios even advanced past the fourth round of a Grand Slam (2015 Australian Open).

It would be nice if Kyrgios won more in the biggest events, and at 24 years old he still has time to get there. But for now, and presumably even if a higher level in his play comes, Kyrgios is the kind of the villain tennis needs and he’s clearly comfortable in the role.