There’s well-documented tension between world No. 40 Nick Kyrgios and world No. 4 Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard has made it clear, at times, that he doesn’t believe the Australian has respect for himself, the fans or the sport. Kyrgios, meanwhile, has noted that he and Nadal are extremely different as people, and that should only mean that there will be some fireworks when the two meet in the Wimbledon semifinals. Even if Kyrgios doesn’t direct his emotions directly at Nadal, it’s likely he’ll find something to rile himself up in this one. That’s exactly what happened when the two met at Indian Wells, where Nadal earned a 7-6 (0), 5-7, 6-4 victory over Kyrgios.
Nadal is 6-3 in this head-to-head series and the 22-time Grand Slam champion comes into this one on a three-match winning streak against Kyrgios. The first of those three wins was at the All England Club, in 2014. It is, however, extremely important to do your best to ignore the past when deciding which way to bet this match. This is the best version of Kyrgios that we have seen on the ATP Tour, as he is 12-3 on grass in 2022. In that span, the Australian earned two victories over world No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas. Kyrgios has become one of the game’s most dominant servers, which is a testament to the renewed focus he has displayed this season.