You can't talk about Kyrgios' Acapulco return without mentioning Rafa

The suspense continues to build for Nick Kyrgios’ title defense at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, but not in a good way.

Two weeks ago, Kyrgios pulled out of the New York Open with a shoulder injury. He traveled to Delray Beach the following week and would have been the top seed in an ATP tournament for the first time, had he not withdrawn with a wrist problem. Kyrgios remained in the Delray doubles draw, with partner Jordan Thompson, but would soon pull out of that event—just as he’s done this week, in the Acapulco doubles.

The reason for both of Kyrgios’ doubles withdrawals appear to be Thompson’s health; still, the fact remains that we haven’t seen Nick compete in nearly a month. Not that it may matter, of course, considering the 24-year-old’s unique talent and an uncanny ability to rise to the occasion against top opponents.

Getty Images

When we last saw Krygios in match play, he was doing what he does best—firing aces and forehands, firing up the crowd, and tormenting Rafael Nadal. The mercurial Aussie came into his fourth-round match at the Australian Open with a 3-4 record against Rafa, including a victory in their very first meeting, at Wimbledon in 2014. While Kyrgios failed to level the head-to-head mark in Melbourne, he split the first two sets, and took the third and fourth sets to tiebreakers before falling short in both.

Kyrgios’ win over Nadal six years ago at the All England Club is the victory everyone remembers most, but his triumph over the Spaniard last year in Acapulco can’t be forgotten.

Playing under the lights and in front of a packed evening crowd—as he would do throughout has eventual title run—an already charged atmosphere was only intensified. It’s no secret that Kyrgios and Nadal don’t see eye to eye on how tennis should be played, with Nadal the sometimes-quirky, no-nonsense champion and Kyrgios an unlikely tennis star, his interest in competing as random as a tournament draw.

As Steve Tignor put it last summer:

…it wasn’t until their match earlier this year in Acapulco that the bad blood between them reached the boiling point. Kyrgios beat Nadal, and threw in an underhand serve along the way; Nadal called Kyrgios disrespectful, his uncle Toni said he was bad for tennis, and Kyrgios said that he and Rafa wouldn’t be having a drink together anytime soon. In tennis circles, these were brawling words.

“I’ve got my game, he’s got his own game,” Kyrgios said after the match. “That’s the sport—people are different.”

As if the aforementioned dramatics weren’t enough, Kyrgios saved three match points in a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (6) tilt that found its way onto many year-end lists.

The drama didn’t stop there. In the quarterfinals, Kyrgios edged Stan Wawrinka, 7-5, 6-7 (3), 6-4. In the semis, he eked past John Isner in a final-set tiebreaker. His 6-3, 6-4 final-round win over Alexander Zverev was a well-deserved straight-set conquest that capped the best week of Kyrgios’ professional career.

An Acapulco rematch with Isner or Zverev is possible in the semifinals; Kyrgios couldn’t meet Nadal until the final, as they’re on opposite sides of the draw. But first up for Kyrgios is simply showing up, against rising Frenchman Ugo Humbert. The 21-year-old has matched his career-high ranking of No. 43 after a quarterfinal showing at the New York Open and a semifinal run at Delray Beach.

INTERVIEW—Nick Kyrgios speaks with Tennis Channel's Prakash Amritraj about Acapulco, his play in Australia, and the late Kobe Bryant: