Wimbledon 2019: Nick Kyrgios hits pub ahead of Rafa Nadal showdown

Nick Kyrgios prepares for Rafa Nadal showdown with a session at his favourite watering hole.

Nick Kyrgios spent the evening ahead of his showdown with Rafa Nadal at the Dog and Fox.

Aussie bad boy Nick Kyrgios has prepared for one of the most important tennis matches of his career with a session at his favourite watering hole.

Kyrgios, 24, is to face his “super salty” rival Rafa Nadal on Wimbledon’s centre court late tonight.

In preparation for the highly anticipated second-round showdown, which could net him £131,000 ($234,000), Kyrgios spent most of the evening at the local watering hole, the Dog and Fox.

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This is his favoured Wimbledon pub — where an Aperol Spritz costs £9 — and where Kyrgios remarked on Tuesday he would not be found having a beer with Nadal.

“I don’t know him at all. I know him as a tennis player,” Kyrgios said after his round-one win.

“I just don’t — no, I don’t know him very well. I don’t know what you want me to say to the question. It’s a very strange question. Ah, I am not sure that me and Rafa could go down to the Dog & Fox and have a beer together.’’

Just gone 11pm and Nick Kyrgios is still in the Dog and Fox, the night before he plays Rafael Nadal on Centre Court. No sign of Nadal for that beer... #Wimbledon

— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) July 3, 2019

I just had a toast with Nick Kyrgios at the Dog & Fox. He is completely relaxed, laughing with friends, chatting with girls, drinking. “I love the @estorilopen”, he told me. Quite an unorthodox preparation for tomorrow’s blockbuster, uh? I like it. 😂 #wimbledon #tennis

— Miguel Seabra (@MiguelSeabra) July 3, 2019

Not surprisingly, Nadal, who relaxes before games in a quieter more conventional manner, was nowhere to be seen.

Patrons said Kyrgios was completely relaxed, laughing with girls and drinking, and was there for about four hours.

Rafa Nadal at a training session ahead of his match against Kyrgios. Picture: AFP

He even mentioned to one Portuguese journalist how much he liked the Estoril Open.

Like Cinderella though, come midnight Kyrgios had hightailed it, but with no golden coach in sight, to his nearby rental house.

Kyrgios has long spoken of his fondness for the Dog and Fox, where many of Wimbledon’s tennis officials, umpires and fans congregate.

At Queen’s club in 2017, when asked how he intended to spend his time recovering from an injury before Wimbledon, he simply replied: “Dog and Fox”.

The pair have a 3-3 win-loss record in matches against each other.

Kyrgios defeated Nadal in their most recent clash, in Acapulco in February where the Spaniard accused his opponent of “lacking respect”.

Kyrgios said this week that there is “mutual respect” between the two -- and “nothing else”.