Rafael Nadal was SICK before Nick Kyrgios loss - Mexico Open problems revealed
RAFAEL NADAL was not well for his clash with Nick Kyrgios in Mexico this week - Australian media have revealed.
Mexican Open: Nadal unwell in Kyrgios defeat reveals pundit
Nadal suffered a surprise early exit in the Mexican Open as he was downed 3-6, 7-6(2), 7-6(6) by Aussie Kyrgios.
Kyrgios was the man on court complaining about feeling ill during the encounter.
He steeled himself to come through the clash and has since beaten Stan Wawrinka to make the semi-finals.
Yet it is being reported that Nadal had been suffering a bout of flu heading into the match.
Nadal was apparently very sick, he had a flu or something
Nadal was critical of Kyrgios - who served underarm, shouted at the crowd and celebrated wildly after clinching match point - in his post-match press conference.
And in a discussion on Aussie TV show Sunrise, anchor Samantha Armytage and the Herald Sun’s Susie O’Brien revealed how Nadal was not 100 per cent fit for the clash.
“Nadal was apparently very sick, he had a flu or something,” Armytage said.
“But he chose not to pull out of the game.
“Because of the fact people had paid to go.
“So it’s a big call for Rafa to have lost the game and then come out and say this against an opponent.”
O’Brien then said: “There’s often sour grapes when a No 72 beats a No 2.
“They’ve often got some fairly mean things to say.
“But in this case you’d have to say it’s highly justified. Nadal, we know, wasn’t that well.
“Kyrgios was complaining that he didn’t feel so good, that he might not be able to keep playing.
“Then he started swearing. Then he started abusing the umpire. Then he had a little man baby cry.
“He honestly behaves so appallingly.”
Next up for Rafael Nadal is Indian Wells - a tournament he has not won since 2013.
The Spaniard missed Indian Wells last year and crashed out in the fourth round in 2017.
He has won three of his four finals at the Californian tournament - his first coming back in 2007.