"There's definitely times when I hate this sport."

It is difficult to imagine Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer or Novak Djokovic coming out with such a line – but then Nick Kyrgios does not pretend to be comparable to any of those tennis greats.

Kyrgios' maiden major singles final appearance has come about due to unprecedented circumstances, with a tear to Nadal's abdominal muscle making his opponent the first to benefit from a walkover in a Wimbledon semi-final in the Open Era.

"It's not the way I wanted to get to the final," said Kyrgios in the same news conference on Friday.

But injuries are becoming increasingly commonplace for the 'Big Three' – already trimmed from a 'Big Four' due to the fitness woes endured by Kyrgios' great mate Andy Murray.

So, does the first-time finalist see an opportunity to step into that void at the forefront of the sport?

"No, no, I don't," Kyrgios replied. "I don't think anyone's able to fill those shoes."

He added with a grin: "If I ever win a grand slam trophy, please don't put the pressure on my to do another one."

This might be Kyrgios' first and only title run, but it is one he has waited a long time for.

"I saw some of the professionals walking around when I'd be a junior here, and I never thought that I'd be playing for the actual men's title," he said.

"It's the pinnacle of tennis. Once you're able to raise a grand slam trophy, it's like: what else is there to achieve?

"I never thought I'd be here, and I'm just super proud and ready to go. I'm going to give it my all and see what happens."

Australia has waited a long time, too. Aussies have won six Wimbledon men's singles titles but none since Lleyton Hewitt's sole success in 2002.

Their last finalist was Mark Philippoussis in 2003, beaten by Federer for his first championship. By Sunday, 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man walked out for a singles final on Centre Court.

That sort of legacy does not appeal to Kyrgios, though, as he explained: "The greats of Australian tennis haven't been the nicest to me, and they haven't always been the most supportive – they haven't been supportive these two weeks."

Hewitt is an exception – the Davis Cup captain was briefly a hitting partner prior to the tournament – but Kyrgios considers himself "definitely the outcast of the Australian players".

"It's pretty sad," he said, describing his relationship with other Aussie greats as "weird". "They have a sick obsession with tearing me down. It sucks."

No, rather than bid to join those ranks, Kyrgios believes he is inspiring others like him.

"I grew up in Canberra, the courts I trained on were horrible, and now I'm here with the chance to play the Wimbledon final," he said.

"I think it's honestly an inspiration for any kid who's been 'outcasted' or been surrounded by negative headlines or negative clouds or been brought down from a lot of different angles.

"It's possible, it's still possible to achieve something quite special if you just believe in yourself. I never really lost belief in myself."

There have certainly been no shortage of negative headlines.

Kyrgios spat at a spectator earlier in the tournament; his epic third-round win over Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the matches of the fortnight, but his typically brash approach to that encounter was not widely popular; and when he spoke of having already prepared tactics for Nadal – a previous foe – it was easy to wonder whether Kyrgios intended to outplay his opponent or simply get under his skin.

More seriously, this week started with Kyrgios being summoned to appear before a court in Canberra next month to face an allegation of common assault.

Those Australian greats would not be alone in responding to a Kyrgios victory unenthusiastically, even if the Centre Court crowd appear to have warmed to him.

No amount of noise will be new to Kyrgios, and while this is his first major singles final, a doubles title at the Australian Open provided some vital preparation for getting to this stage, too.

"I realised in Melbourne that it's a long time; it's a really long time in one place," Kyrgios said.

He was ready then for the rollercoaster of a grand slam run: "I beat Paul Jubb 7-5 in the fifth set in my first round, and now I'm in the Wimbledon final. You've just got to ride the waves, roll with the punches.

"In a grand slam, you just don't know; you could be four points away from losing the tournament and then 11 days later you're in the final."

There is undeniable excitement at the opportunity that lies ahead of Kyrgios, who considers himself "one of the most competitive people I've ever met".

But for once he will be able to see the bigger picture if Sunday's match does not go his way; Kyrgios is the first unseeded major finalist since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open and the first unseeded Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis.

"I just know whether I win or lose on Sunday, I'm going to be happy, because it's just such a great achievement that I never thought I'd be a part of – especially at 27," Kyrgios said.

"For me, I thought it was the later stages of my career; I just never thought that it would be right here that I'd have a chance."

Now he does have that chance, though, he is determined to give his all – something that has not always been a given with Kyrgios, his critics might suggest.

"Since I've been born, only eight people have won this title, only eight," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best shot."

Novak Djokovic told fans to "expect fireworks" when he faces Nick Kyrgios in his record-breaking 32nd grand slam final at Wimbledon on Sunday.

Djokovic surpassed Roger Federer (31) for the most major finals among male players with his four-set victory over Cam Norrie in Friday's semi-final.

It means he will now face Kyrgios, who progressed without playing after Rafael Nadal withdrew from their last-four meeting due to an abdominal injury.

The six-time Wimbledon champion has never beaten Kyrgios, losing each of their previous meetings in Acapulco and Indian Wells in 2017 in straight sets.

Their third encounter could be one high on emotion. Djokovic appeared to blow kisses towards a heckler in the Centre Court crowd after defeating Norrie while Kyrgios, known for his on-court outbursts, was recently involved in an extremely tempestuous third-round clash with fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas.

"One thing's for sure, there's going to be a lot of fireworks emotionally from both [of us]," Djokovic said on court afterwards. 

"It's going to be his first grand slam final obviously he's very, very excited, he doesn't have much to lose and he's always playing like that.

"He's playing so freely, one of the biggest serves in the game, just big game overall, a lot of power in his shots.

"We haven't played for some time. I've never won a set off him so hopefully it can be different this time.

"It's another final for me here in Wimbledon with the tournament that I love so much so hopefully the experience can work in my favour."

Nick Kyrgios revealed he was disappointed to be gifted a place in the Wimbledon final, having been determined to earn his shot at the title by beating Rafael Nadal.

But following news of that semi-final walkover, the Australian was so excited he struggled to sleep.

Kyrgios, speaking to the media on Friday, said he learned of Nadal's withdrawal with an abdominal muscle tear only shortly before the Spaniard announced his decision at a news conference.

While Kyrgios – who enjoys a feisty rivalry with the 22-time grand slam champion – sent Nadal a message on Instagram, he was yet to speak to him.

The 27-year-old had been desperate to beat Nadal, but his respect for his opponent was also evident in his words.

"Honestly, my first feeling was a bit of disappointment," Kyrgios said.

"My energy was so focused on playing him and tactically how I'm going to go out there and play, the emotions of walking out there and all that type of stuff.

"It's not the way I wanted to get to the final. As a competitor, I really did want that match – it was obviously something, as soon as I beat Garin, that I knew Rafa was a high possibility.

"It's just someone that I've had so many good battles with before. We've both taken a win against each other at this tournament, and I really did want to see how the third chapter was going to go.

"You never want to see someone like that, [someone] so important to the sport go down with an injury like that. 

"He's just played so much tennis, he's had a gruelling season, so I just hope he recovers. I'm sure I'll play him again on a big stage."

He added: "But obviously it's exciting to say I'll have a chance to play for a grand slam singles title; after everything, it's pretty cool."

Indeed, so exciting Kyrgios endured "a shocking sleep" on Thursday night.

"I got probably an hour of sleep," he said. "Just with everything, the excitement, I had so much anxiety, I was already feeling so nervous – and I don't feel nervous usually."

Kyrgios was concerned the absence of a semi-final match would knock him out of what has been "a pretty good routine" in his run to a first major final.

"People will say, 'he gets another day off', but it's definitely a shock to the system, having been playing so many matches," he explained.

"You play a match at a grand slam and you know, deep down, that you have one day to wind down, let yourself relax and then go again.

"To have two and a half, three days off... today I'm going to emulate not a match scenario but I'm going to try to have a bit more of an extended practice to try to feel like I'm in that same routine.

"That can throw anyone off. At a grand slam, you want to have those matches, you want to have those competitive juices, you want to have those going, the adrenaline.

"That's just something I'm going to have to go into the final without, that semi-final experience.

"That's okay, I'm going to take the positives, rest my body a bit; it's not bad going in there feeling fresh."

Nick Kyrgios has taken to social media to wish Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery after the Spaniard withdrew from the pair's Wimbledon semi-final through injury.

Nadal appeared to be struggling throughout his epic five-set quarter-final win over Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, and it was later confirmed the 22-time grand slam champion had suffered a seven-millimetre abdominal tear.

The two-time Wimbledon champion then announced his withdrawal from the competition at a news conference on Thursday, saying he doubted his ability to win two matches while enduring the pain.

Nadal's exit means Kyrgios will become Australia's first male Wimbledon finalist since Mark Philippoussis in 2003, and is the first player to receive a semi-final walkover in the competition in the Open Era.

The enigmatic 27-year-old has since taken to Instagram to wish the Spaniard well, writing: "Different players, different personalities.

"I hope your recovery goes well and we all hope to see you healthy soon. 'Till next time…"

The Australian has enjoyed a heated rivalry with Nadal since beating him in their first head-to-head meeting at Wimbledon in 2014, with the pair engaging in a couple of high-profile spats.

Kyrgios will now face either Novak Djokovic or Cameron Norrie in Sunday's final, as he bids to become the first Australian man to win Wimbledon since Lleyton Hewitt defeated David Nalbandian in 2002.

He has embarked on a box-office run in SW19, coming through five-set thrillers against Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima, as well as winning a fiery third-round contest against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Some 6,944 days will have passed since an Australian man played in a Wimbledon final by the time Kyrgios takes to Centre Court on Sunday, though he will look to fare better than Philippoussis did in 2003's straight-sets loss to Roger Federer.

World number 40 Kyrgios is also the lowest-ranked – and the first unseeded – Wimbledon finalist since Philippoussis (number 48), as well as the lowest-ranked grand slam finalist since Marcos Baghdatis (number 54) at the 2006 Australian Open.

Rafael Nadal says prolonging his career is more important than any trophy after withdrawing from Wimbledon ahead of his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios due to injury.

The second seed played though the pain barrier in beating Taylor Fritz in a five-set thriller in Wednesday's quarter-final, but he later admitted he was unsure if a troublesome abdominal issue would clear up in time for Friday's semi-final.

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday, despite tests reportedly revealing he had a seven-millimetre abdominal tear, though it ultimately proved in vain as he announced at a news conference later in the day that his match with Kyrgios would not go ahead.

While disappointed at being denied the chance of winning a first calendar Grand Slam, having already won the Australian Open and French Open this year, the 22-time major winner feels he had no choice.

"Unfortunately, as you can imagine, I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament," he said. "As everyone saw yesterday, I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal [area] and something was not okay there. 

"That is confirmed, I have a tear in the muscle and the communication is too late. I was thinking the whole day, I was thinking about the decision to make, but I think it doesn't make sense to go, even if I try through my career to keep going. 

"It is very tough circumstances but it is obvious if I keep going the injury will be worse and worse. I never thought about the calendar slam, I thought about my diary and my happiness.

"I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at my best. The most important thing to me is happiness over a title."

Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4), despite being a set down when calling for a medical time-out on Centre Court.

"I make this decision because I don't believe I can win two matches under the circumstances. It is not only I can't serve at the right speed, it is I can't do the normal movement to serve," Nadal added of his decision to pull out.

"After that, to imagine myself winning two matches and for respect for myself in some way, I don't want to go out there and not be competitive enough to play at the level I need to play to achieve my goals."

Kyrgios will now receive a bye through to a first grand slam final, where either Cameron Norrie or Novak Djokovic await on Sunday.

As for Nadal, he is hopeful of returning to action within "two-to-three weeks", meaning he will have time to get back up to speed in time for the US Open, which begins on August 29.

"My goal is to go to the Montreal Masters [on August 5]," Nadal said. "Injuries are part of my career. I saw myself with options to win the title, but you have to accept things as they come."

Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.

The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.

The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.

Rafael Nadal has been forced to withdraw from Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios, ending his hopes of a first calendar Grand Slam.

Nadal played through the pain barrier in a mammoth four-hour quarter-final clash with Taylor Fritz on Wednesday, regularly being checked over by his physio during a 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) win on Centre Court.

The Australian Open and French Open champion admitted in the aftermath of that success he was "worried" about the prospect of having to withdraw from the tournament, adding: "I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know."

Nadal appeared on the practice courts on Thursday in a bid to find a way of competing but was unable to serve at full power, and reports said tests had revealed a 7mm abdominal tear.

The 36-year-old's efforts were ultimately in vain as he confirmed he was pulling out at a news conference later on Thursday, meaning Kyrgios advances to a first major final.

Rafael Nadal faced make-or-break tests on Thursday to determine whether he would have to abandon his Wimbledon campaign.

The 22-time grand slam winner aggravated an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals, admitting he had been in pain on court.

It did not prevent Nadal lasting the distance in a stirring battle lasting four hours and 21 minutes, taking the decider on a tie-break.

But Nadal risks having to pull out of Friday's semi-final against Australian Nick Kyrgios if his body is judged to have taken too much of a battering.

Family members appealed to Nadal to give up the ghost against Fritz, but the 36-year-old played on and pulled off a typically gutsy victory.

He confirmed after the match: "Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But [it is] difficult to know. It's obvious that I am a player who had a lot of things in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way in abdominal. But let's see. I had these feelings for a couple of days."

Nadal said it was undoubtedly "the worst day" for his abdomen since he first felt a strain, which had required strapping before he played Fritz.

He said there had "been an important increase of pain and limitation", but Italian player Fabio Fognini appeared to question Nadal's injury status when he posted a message in an Instagram story, reacting to a report pointing out the Spaniard's problem.

The message read: "For sure... Guys stop believe in what you read PLEASE."

But Fognini later denied that meant he was questioning Nadal's injury, accusing journalists of twisting his words.

He wrote: "It's time to stop writing and reporting everything that you want in the wrong way. With that I wish Rafa and his entire team a lot of good luck in this Wimbledon final."

Former Spain goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, who now works in the sports media, also weighed in, writing on Twitter: "If there is anyone to believe in this society, it is @RafaelNadal. For many reasons that I am too lazy to cite.

"There are those who doubt his injury yesterday, but one fact does not bear debate: his serve was 30 per cent less than his usual speed ... Usual almost 200 km/h. Yesterday 150/160 km/h"

That did not quite stack up across the entire match, but Nadal's average serve speeds (107mph for first serve, 95mph for second serve) were his slowest of the tournament so far.

Nadal has already won the Australian Open and French Open titles this year, defying a long-time foot problem. Should he play on and win Wimbledon, he would go to the US Open in August with a chance of achieving the first men's singles calendar Grand Slam clean sweep since Rod Laver achieved the feat in 1969.

The winner of the semi-final between Nadal and Kyrgios, should it go ahead as planned, will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's match against Cameron Norrie in the title match.

Rafael Nadal says he does not know if he will be able to play in his semi-final against Nick Kyrgios after aggravating an abdominal injury during his five-set victory over Taylor Fritz.

Nadal, 36, has been vocal about his struggles physically during the tournament, but had been determined to push through the pain in an effort to keep his chances at the calendar slam alive, having already won this year's Australian Open and French Open.

During his quarter-final win against Fritz, family members were imploring Nadal to retire from the match as his clear discomfort appeared to be getting the better of him at times.

He admitted in his post-match media appearance that his condition worsened during the match, saying he will prioritise his health if he has to make a tough decision.

"I don't know [if I will be able to play] – I am going to have some more tests, but it is difficult to know," he said.

"I had these feelings for a couple of days, but without a doubt, today was the worst day. There has been an important increase of pain and limitation.

"I am worried. I don't have a decision. I need to know different opinions and I need to check everything the proper way.

"There is something more important than winning Wimbledon, and that is health."

The winner between Nadal and Kyrgios will face the winner of Novak Djokovic's semi-final against Cameron Norrie in the decider.

Rafael Nadal is hopeful he will overcome an abdominal injury that plagued him during his victory over Taylor Fritz in time for Friday's Wimbledon semi-final against Nick Kyrgios.

The 22-time grand slam winner recovered from behind to edge Fritz 3-6 7-5 3-6 7-5 7-6 (10-4) in a thrilling contest on Centre Court on Wednesday.

Nadal called for a medical time-out in the second set and never fully recovered from the issue, with his movement restricted throughout the four-hour-and-20-minute battle.

However, Nadal showed incredible mental and physical resilience to dig deep and see off first-time grand slam quarter-finalist Fritz and set up a showdown with Kyrgios.

Speaking in his on-court interview, the Spaniard admitted he was not entirely sure he would be able to see out his quarter-final tie after playing through the pain barrier.

"The body in general is fine," he said. "The abdominal [area] is not going well. I had to find a way to serve a little bit different.

"For a lot of moments I was thinking I will not be able to finish the match, but the court energy was something else.

"I honestly enjoy a lot playing these kind of matches, in front of you guys, I can’t thank you enough. It has been a tough afternoon. [Fritz] is a great player, all the credit to him.

"He's been great the whole season. But from my personal side it was not an easy match at all, so I'm just very happy to be in the semi-final.

"I hope to be ready to play it. Nick is a great player on all surfaces but especially on grass, he is having a great grass-court season.

"It's going to be a big challenge and I'm going to need to be at my 100 per cent to have a chance, and that is what I'm going to try to do."

Nadal has now won all eight quarter-finals contested at Wimbledon and is on a 19-match winning run at grand slams – three short of his own record of 21, which he set in 2010.

The victory over Fritz marked only the second time Nadal has won a fifth-set tie-break at a major, having previously prevailed against Dominic Thiem at the 2018 US Open.

It was also the first time since the same stage four years ago, against Juan Martin Del Potro, that Nadal has come through a five-set match at Wimbledon.

He has two days to recover ahead of facing Kyrgios, who had earlier defeated Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach a first grand slam semi-final.

"Tomorrow I'm going to have some more tests. But it's difficult to know [how I'll feel]," Nadal said when providing a further update on his fitness.

"It's obvious that I am not the kind of player that I didn't have a lot of things [injuries] in my tennis career, so I am used to have things and I am used to hold pain and to play with problems.

"Knowing that, when I feel something like I felt, that is because something is not going the proper way. But let's see. 

"It's obvious that today is nothing new. I had these feelings for a couple of days. Without a doubt, today was the worst day.

"There has been an important increase of pain and limitation. I managed to win that match. Let's see what's going on tomorrow."

Nadal leads Kyrgios 6-3 in their previous nine career matches, including victories in two of their three meetings in majors.

Nick Kyrgios was in disbelief after reaching his first grand slam semi-final with a Wimbledon victory over Cristian Garin, suggesting his best chances of major success had been wasted.

Kyrgios produced an impressive display on No. 1 Court to down his Chilean opponent 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5), becoming the first unseeded Wimbledon semi-finalist since Rainer Schuttler and Marat Safin in 2008.

The Australian, who had lost two previous grand slam quarter-finals (at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year) has courted controversy during a box-office run at SW19, spitting in the direction of a spectator during his opener last week before labelling Stefanos Tsitsipas "soft" after an ill-tempered third-round match.

And the 27-year-old, who took a moment to sit and savour his win before conducting his court-side interview, thought he had squandered any chance of grand slam success earlier in his career.

"Amazing atmosphere out here again, I just never thought I'd be at a semi-final of a grand slam, honestly, I thought my ship had sailed," he said.

"You know, I didn't go about things great earlier in my career, and may have wasted that little window.

"But I'm just really proud of the way I've come back out here, and of my team."

Kyrgios put the rows and trick-shots to one side during a professional performance, serving 17 aces and saving eight of the nine break points conjured by Garin.

Asked how he had found consistency without working with a full-time coach, Kyrgios said: "I don't have a coach, I would never put that burden on someone!

"Each and every one of my team plays a very important role, [but] I feel like no-one knows my tennis like I do. 

"I've been playing this sport since I was seven, and to reach a semi-final of a grand slam… I'm pretty happy."

Kyrgios' clash with Garin represented Wimbledon's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Schuttler), and the Australian said he never felt in control against a tough opponent despite posting a straight-sets win.

"Honestly, I felt I was playing on the back foot a lot, he's a hell of a player, he's obviously feeling very confident, it's been a hell of a tournament from him to make the quarter-finals," he continued.

"I felt I got a bit lucky on a couple of break points here and there, it could easily have been him standing here.

"I'll just take that and prepare for my next match.

"I don't want to think about the semi-final just yet, there's a lot to be done from now until then. We'll go back, my dad will cook dinner as always, we'll watch a movie and just chill out. That's it."

Nick Kyrgios wasted little time in booking a first career grand slam as he outclassed Cristian Garin in straight sets to reach the last four of Wimbledon.

The Australian, a beaten quarter-finalist at Wimbledon in 2014 and 2015's Australian Open, dominated en route to a 6-4 6-3 7-6 (7-5) win in the tournament's first quarter-final between two unseeded players since 2008 (Arnaud Clement v Rainer Schuttler).

Kyrgios has courted controversy on multiple occasions over the last fortnight, spitting in the direction of a fan in the opening round before winning a bad-tempered clash with Stefanos Tsitsipas in round three, but he put the theatrics to one side in clinching a last-four spot on No. 1 Court.

Garin started strongly as he broke to love in the contest's opening game, but Kyrgios, energised after producing one of the shots of the tournament when stooping for a scarcely believable forehand winner, broke back shortly after.

After overcoming a back-and-forth ninth game to record another break, Kyrgios served the opener out to love before moving through the gears in the second, which he wrapped up in 38 minutes to extend his lead.

Kyrgios's fine serving allowed him to take control of the contest, with his 17 aces in the match moving him clear of John Isner (114) as the player with the most aces at Wimbledon this year (120).

The Australian lost his way for much of the third set, producing a series of unforced errors to give Garin hope, but the Chilean's failure to convert any of his last eight break points saw Kyrgios force a tie-break.

Kyrgios rediscovered his form in the breaker to see out the win, setting up a last-four meeting with either Taylor Fritz or Rafael Nadal.

Data Slam: Kyrgios flying the flag after making quick work of Garin

Kyrgios' win ensured he became the first male Australian player to reach Wimbledon's semi-finals since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.

Having being taken to five sets on two occasions in West London this year (by Paul Jubb and Brandon Nakashima), the 27-year-old enjoyed a more comfortable outing on Wednesday when extending the best major run of his career.

WINNERS/UNFORCED ERRORS

Garin 30/23
Kyrgios 35/29

ACES/DOUBLE FAULTS

Garin 2/5
Kyrgios 17/4

BREAK POINTS WON

Garin 1/9
Kyrgios 3/6

Nick Kyrgios has been charged with common assault and summoned to appear before a court in Canberra next month, it has been reported in Australian media.

Australian Capital Territory Policing, who did not name Kyrgios directly, confirmed one charge of common assault relating to an incident in December 2021.

A barrister representing the tennis player responded by saying Kyrgios "takes the allegation very seriously" but would not be making an immediate public comment.

Kyrgios is in England, playing at Wimbledon, and is scheduled to face Cristian Garin in the quarter-finals of the competition on Wednesday.

The player's barrister, Jason Moffett, confirmed the charge.

"It's in the context of a domestic relationship," Moffett told the Canberra Times. "The nature of the allegation is serious, and Mr Kyrgios takes the allegation very seriously.

"Given the matter is before the court – he doesn't have a comment at this stage, but in the fullness of time we'll issue a media release."

An ACT Policing spokesperson in Canberra said: "ACT Policing can confirm a 27-year-old Watson man is scheduled to face the ACT Magistrates Court on the 2nd of August in relation to one charge of common assault following an incident in December 2021."

Nick Kyrgios reflected on what he feels is a new-found maturity after defeating Brandon Nakashima to earn his spot against Cristian Garin in the Wimbledon quarter-final.

The 27-year-old Australian needed five sets to make it past the 20-year-old American, eventually winning 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-2) 3-6 6-2.

In a match that was far from smooth sailing, Kyrgios needed a medical timeout following the first set to deal with some shoulder discomfort that has flared up since his fiery win against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Speaking to the media after his success, Kyrgios said everyone is dealing with niggling injuries this deep into a grand slam, but he is proud of the way he has handled adversity this time around.

"I woke up after Tsitsipas and had some shoulder pain," he said. "I’ve played so much tennis over the last month and a half that I felt it was about time for my body to start feeling some niggles. 

"I don’t think anybody is feeling 100 per cent at this time, Rafa – you see him dealing with something all the time – so it’s something I just manage. Mentally, I think I deal with these things a lot better now. 

"I knew today I wasn’t feeling 100 per cent, but mentally I stayed quite calm, knowing that I wasn’t able to serve full out for the five sets."

His ability to fight through his injury was just one aspect of how Kyrgios feels he has grown as both a player and a person, touching on how far he has come since being dragged out of the pub by his manager in 2019.

"I feel like I’ve been through so much, now I can stay composed," he said. "It’s the first time in my career that I wasn’t playing well, but I was able to say ‘wow, look how far I’ve come’ – It was rewarding. 

"I think I’m enjoying the battle a bit more – I’m expecting everyone to play well against me now. I was that kid once, the underdog, whereas today walking on Centre Court being the favourite was completely different for me, but I was able to navigate that.

"There was a time when I was having to be forced out of a pub at 4am to play Nadal [in the second round of 2019] – my agent had to come and get me out of a pub at 4am before I played my match on Centre Court, Wimbledon. 

"So I’ve come a long way, that’s for sure… to sit here, quarter-finals at Wimbledon, feeling composed, mature, completely blessed and comfortable in my own skin."

Having burst onto the scene at such a young age, Kyrgios said he feels he helped pave the way for the current generation of young stars.

"This is almost my 10th year on Tour," he said. "I kind of feel like I was the first guy who broke through young, like at 19, beating Rafa at Wimbledon. 

"I was the first young guy to show all the other guys – like Zverev and Thiem and stuff – that they could do it as well, I feel like I was the first one to break the mould. You look at guys like Alcaraz, Sinner who are just absolutely fearless. 

"I think a lot of players think that Federer, Djokovic and Nadal are almost Gods and you can’t hurt them. I feel like I showed at least one of them was human that day."

Wimbledon quarter-finalist Nick Kyrgios admitted to having a "chip on his shoulder" but dismissed the suggestion he bemoaned the controversy that seems to follow him, insisting he "loves it".

Two days on from an ill-tempered victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas that resulted in both players been fined, Kyrgios defeated 20-year-old Brandon Nakashima to progress to the quarter-finals of a grand slam for the third time in his career.

It will be the Australian's first appearance in the last eight of the singles draw at a major since 2015 in Melbourne, however, with his other grand slam quarter-final showing having come at Wimbledon in 2014 – Kyrgios having beaten Rafael Nadal to reach that stage on that occasion.

Cristian Garin of Chile is next up, after what was a reasonably well-mannered display against Nakashima, who Kyrgios was full of praise for.

Yet he still managed to spark some contention on Monday, having wore a red cap and a pair of red Nike Jordan trainers during his post-match on-court interview, breaching Wimbledon's strict dress code.

This was put to Kyrgios in his post-match news conference, with the journalist in question asking the 27-year-old if he thought he was above the rules.

"Because I do what I want," Kyrgios replied. "I'm not above the rules. I just like wearing my Jordans. I'll wear some [Jordan] triple whites tomorrow.

"Nobody else, even after Wimbledon, really walks with Jordans on the court. I don't moan [about controversy], I love it – more attention for me.

"What's that saying? Any publicity is good publicity, right?"

Kyrgios' fellow Australian Pat Cash said over the weekend that his compatriot had taken tennis to "the lowest level".

Yet Kyrgios insists he now laughs off criticism, which he believes is a sign of how he has matured as a player.

"Honestly, I don't care. I just smile. It's so funny. It's hilarious," he chuckled. "I almost just wake up and read things and just laugh.

"I never forget things people might have said three, four years ago, they stick with me. I have a massive chip on my shoulder.

"And I sit here now, quarter-finals of Wimbledon again, and I just know there's so many people that are so upset. It's a good feeling.

"I don't think in the past when I’ve got this far in a grand slam, or played big matches, I used to be on my phone a lot, attached to technology, seeing everyone's opinions or highlights, but I feel like I'm able to switch off from that, and that's a big part of my growth. Being obsessed with my girlfriend helps!

"I'm really able to just let that go, separate tennis and life, I think that's the most important thing."