Rafael Nadal says ‘age is not an excuse’ following Nick Kyrgios comments

RAFAEL Nadal has delivered a well-measured serve on the comments of fellow tennis player Nick Kyrgios, calling for the Aussie to change his attitude.

RAFAEL Nadal has delivered a well-measured serve on the comments of fellow tennis player Nick Kyrgios, calling for the Aussie to change his attitude.

Kyrgios managed to further damage his reputation on Thursday when he was heard on live television sledging opponent Stan Wawrinka by telling him: “Kokkinakis banged your girlfriend, sorry to tell you that mate.”

In a press conference following his Rogers Cup quarterfinal win over Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny, Nadal labelled Kyrgios’s distasteful comments as “completely unnecessary”.

“I don’t understand very well why he say that (sic). It is completely unnecessary. It is out of what a tennis match should be,” Nadal told Montreal media.

The Spaniard spoke of the need to set a good example for the next generation of young tennis fans.

Kyrgios is not well known for being popular with fellow athletes on the ATP circuit and Nadal noted his recent actions would do nothing for Kyrgios’s bid to make friends.

“It’s obvious that when you are in the tour, you are in the locker room every single week of the year. You are around colleagues and the life is much easier and happier if you have a good relationship with those colleagues,” Nadal said.

“What happened yesterday doesn’t help that.”

The world No. 9 said it was unacceptable to blame Kyrgios’s youth for his comments.

“Everybody can make mistakes. Age is not an excuse. We are here and most of the players around the tour, started on the tour very early. I started on the tour at 16, Novak (Djokovic) probably at 17, Andy (Murray) at 18, so age is not an excuse at all it’s just about respect. He was wrong yesterday,” he said.

Nadal gave credit where credit was due, acknowledging the 20-year-old as a tennis player who had the potential to reach the pinnacle of the sport.

“I hope he’s able to recognise his mistake and I hope he’s able to change his attitude,” Nadal said.

“He’s a fantastic tennis player, and possibly he can be No. 1 in the future.”

The 29-year-old ended by showing a glimmer of faith in the Aussie: “As I say before, he has time to improve that attitude. I’m sure he’s smart and he will do it.”

World No.1 Novak Djokovic weighed in on the debacle on Friday, slamming Kyrgios for his behaviour.

“I’m not the one who should judge the reaction but in my opinion it was completely unnecessary to comment something like that,” Djokovic said.

“There is no excuse for what he has said. He was fined, he deserved it.

“I think he’s going to learn a lesson in a hard way. Hopefully this won’t happen to him anymore.

“I understand tantrums but this was not fair. There are no excuses for his behaviour.”