Nick Kyrgios revealed greatest-ever victory that topped Rafael Nadal scalp on Wimbledon debut

Imagine making your Wimbledon debut and beating Rafael Nadal to reach the quarter-finals in one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.

That’s exactly what Nick Kyrgios did, but it appears that a victory on home soil was the more enjoyable occasion for the Aussie.

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Kyrgios arrived at the All England Club in 2014 as a wildcard entry and with limited experience at Grand Slam tournaments on his CV.

However, the-then 19-year-old booked his spot in the fourth round after wins against Stephane Robert, Richard Gasquet and Jiri Vesely.

His reward? A clash against the two-time champion and second seed Nadal, who had just won the ninth of his record 14 French Open titles.

Kyrgios was by far and away the underdog, but ultimately advanced to the final eight with a shock 7-6 [7-5] 5-7 7-6 [7-5] 6-3 triumph.

The teenager may have later lost to Milos Raonic, but beating Nadal was enough for him to make an emphatic start to his majors journey.

A few months later, he made his second main draw appearance at his home Grand Slam – the Australian Open.

Once again, Kyrgios battled his way into the fourth round and came up against Andreas Seppi.

The Italian arrived after beating Roger Federer and went 7-5 6-4 up and, despite losing the third, he held match point during the fourth.

Kyrgios, with backing from the crowd, had other ideas though as he fought back in the tiebreak to take the match to a deciding set.

A testing 14 games ended with the successful challenge of a Seppi shot that landed wide, handing him a 5-7 4-6 6-3 7-6 [7-5] 8-6 win.

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Amid a deafening roar from delighted fans, Kyrgios fell to the court with his head in his hands.

It was another statement triumph from the up and coming star, one that topped his achievement less than a year before.

“It was the best feeling I ever had,” he said. “I think this [quarter-final compared to Wimbledon vs Nadal], it feels a bit better, honestly.

“There was a lot of expectation coming into this tournament… it’s just massive, especially to do it in front of your home crowd. 

“Hisense [now the John Cain Arena] is an unbelievable court. I’d never played on it before. It’s definitely my favourite court now.”

Kyrgios became the first men’s teenager to reach his second Grand Slam quarter-final since Federer in 2001.

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Furthermore, he was the first Australian male to qualify for the last eight since national icon Lleyton Hewitt ten years earlier.

Unfortunately for Kyrgios, the quarter-finals would once again be a step too far as he was beaten in straight sets by Andy Murray.

It would also turn out to be the furthest stage he has reached across his ten appearances at the Australian Open.

Whether he returns in 2026 remains a mystery, having missed all but one of the last 12 Grand Slam tournaments.