Nick Kyrgios takes swipe at Aussie tennis great Pat Cash after Wimbledon loss

Nick Kyrgios has been in the spotlight quite a bit of late for his on-court tantrums and sarcastic attacks at journalists and he was at it again on Friday as he lashed out at Aussie tennis great Pat Cash.

The 24-year-old took a swipe at the former world number four on Twitter after the fellow Australian praised Rafael Nadal for his great sportsmanship during his second round clash at Wimbledon.

Kyrgios and Nadal faced off against one another in a tough three hour match on Thursday with the young Aussie eventually going down 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6.

While the pair have locked horns on several occasions throughout the year, exchanging harsh words of criticism, Nadal was congratulated for putting it all behind him by waiting for his opponent once the match ended so they could be clapped off together.

Cash showed his support of Nadal for his actions in a post on Twitter, sharing a video of the moment as a BBC commentator could be heard saying: “How good to see Nadal waiting for him as well. That shows some quality, some real class.”

Despite a dramatic and tense match @RafaelNadal shows he is a real gentleman. Lets his racquet do the talking and leaves it all on the court. #Wimbledon https://t.co/BlBp6yqJk5

— Pat Cash (@TheRealPatCash) July 4, 2019

“Despite a dramatic and tense match @RafaelNadal shows he is a real gentleman,” Cash wrote alongside the post. “Lets his racquet do the talking and leaves it all on the court.”

Kyrgios didn’t take a likening to the post, leaving what appeared to be a sarcastic reply as he called him a “potato”.

“Well done Pat, one of your better tweets #potato,” he joked.

The comments come after Kyrgios launched into an expletive-laden rant at an umpire during his match against Nadal.

Kyrgios was landed with a code violation due to the exchange, in which he branded umpire Damien Dumosois a “disgrace” and called out the official for exploiting the “power” he has as an umpire, according to BBC Sport.

The row began when Kyrgios complained about Nadal’s speed of play, asking Dumosois: “Why am I waiting to serve?” He then went on to say: “When he’s serving, he’s controlling the temp.

“Why do I have to wait for my serve? Why am I waiting? Why? It’s too long between serves, it’s bulls***. It’s ridiculous.”

It didn’t end there though, as Kyrgios then mocked the chair umpire about the “power” he has in his chair which saw him slapped with a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct.

"You're no-one. You think you're important. You have no idea what's going on. You're a disgrace."

Nick Kyrgios to the umpire 😬

Live on @BBCOne
👉 https://t.co/xWwMo9Xnfp #wimbledon #bbctennis pic.twitter.com/Wy9meBNmIA

— BBC Tennis (@bbctennis) July 4, 2019

It seems Nadal wasn’t fazed by Kyrgios’ on-court antics though as he described the Aussie as a “tough opponent”, speaking after their clash on Centre Court.

Read more: ‘It’s bulls**t’: Nick Kyrgios crashes out of Wimbledon after foul-mouthed rant

“He was a tough opponent,” Nadal, 33, told the UK public broadcaster. “When he wants to compete, he’s one of the toughest opponents you can face.

“It’s amazing how good he is able to play, so if he is able to forget all these things, he’s potentially a Grand Slam winner.”

Did you watch the match between Nick Kyrgios and Rafael Nadal? What do you think of the Aussie tennis player’s behaviour?