"I was in a pub till 4 am before I played Rafael Nadal": Nick Kyrgios recalls remarkable story before Wimbledon clash with Spaniard

Nick Kyrgios revealed that he was at a pub until 4 am before his defeat against Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon in 2019.

The former world No. 13 shared this story during an episode of the podcast "Hotboxin' With Mike Tyson," where he had a lengthy conversation with the former boxer. In his confession, he talked about occasions when he frequented pubs during tournaments, including matches against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Kyrgios also mentioned his joy at defeating Federer for the first time at the 2015 Madrid Open when he was just 19 years old.

“My most memorable win I reckon was I think, probably when I beat Federer for the first time, that was the most memorable.”

“No, because I had to play the next day. And I was 19 and I didn’t really like… I wasn’t big on to the scene yet,” he replied.

In the second round of Wimbledon 2019, the 24-year-old Australian Nick Kyrgios faced off against the world No. 3, Rafael Nadal, who had won the French Open just three weeks prior.

In a thrilling contest that lasted three hours and four minutes, the Spanish player secured a hard-fought victory with a score of 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(3), advancing to the next round. Interestingly, Kyrgios admitted to having been at a pub until the early hours of the morning the night before the match.

"There were nights when I was… I was in a pub till 4 a.m. before I played Rafa at Wimbledon one year. My old agent had to drag me out of the pub. But the first time I beat Federer was probably the most memorable."

“I lost in a tough four-set battle. But yeah, I feel like getting some sleep at 11 p.m. wouldn’t have hurt,” Kyrgios said.

Nadal and Kyrgios have a head-to-head record of 6-3 in favor of the Spanish player. However, back in 2014, the Australian gave Nadal, who was the world No. 1 at the time, a tough challenge. Kyrgios burst onto the global tennis scene by reaching the quarterfinals of his first Wimbledon at just 19 years old.