Nick Kyrgios said his relationship with Rafael Nadal does not extend beyond "mutual respect" as the two players prepare to face each other in the second round at Wimbledon.
Kyrgios opened his Wimbledon campaign with a typically entertaining 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 0-6, 6-1 win over fellow Australian Jordan Thompson.
However, all attention was on a second round duel with Nadal, who later defeated Japanese qualifier Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.
"I don't know him at all. I know him as a tennis player," Kyrgios said. "I get along with people, some people I don't get along with. We have a mutual respect, but that's about it I think."
Nadal and Kyrgios have been involved in a bitter war of words this year since the Australian defeated the 18-time major champion in a stormy clash in Acapulco. It was his third win over Nadal in six meetings.
Nadal accused the Australian of "lacking respect" after serving underarm while Kyrgios described the Spaniard as "super salty".
Kyrgios conceded he was excited about the chance to prove himself against Nadal.
"I can't wait. As soon as the draw came out, I was super happy that I saw him in my section," he said. "When you're a kid, you want to play the best players in the world on I think it's the best court in the world.
"This is something that I can't take for granted. There's no guarantee I'm going to be here again in this position. Could have an injury or something like that. I'm going to grasp with both hands, go out there, give it my best shot."
Kyrgios, who famously stunned Nadal as a 144-ranked wildcard on his Wimbledon tournament debut in 2014, put in a typically raucous and charismatic display on Court 3 on Tuesday.
In a match where he fired 23 aces and 63 winners, the 24-year-old argued with the umpire, slumped over the net and played dead.
He also hit an underarm serve on set point in the third set, shaped to imitate a forward defensive cricket shot and celebrated a point by running around madly in a circle.
After dropping the second set, he needed a medical timeout for a leg injury before attempting - and failing - to finish the third set with an underarm serve.
He eventually took the set on an eighth set point before conceding an 18-minute fourth set in which he collected just five points.
However, two breaks in a more composed decider settled the tie and set the stage for one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament.
