World number eight Rafael Nadal has strongly hit back at claims he refused to face Nick Kyrgios at a charity event in New York.
Nadal reportedly declined an invitation to team up with embattled Australian Kyrgios at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy's charity event during the week.
The original plan of the exhibition was for Nadal to play Kyrgios in singles, but the latter was replaced by his own mentor Lleyton Hewitt.
Nadal's reluctance to face Kyrgios apparently stemmed from the 20-year-old's insulting on-court sledge directed at Stan Wawrinka at the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
However, the 14-time major winner dismissed those claims as he prepares to open his US Open campaign against Borna Coric.
"I was never supposed to play a doubles match," Nadal said.
"First, I was only supposed to play singles in the exhibition so that was wrong information.
"Second, I never knew I had to play against Kyrgios. I was told I was going to play Lleyton Hewitt. No one asked me to play doubles with Nick Kyrgios.
"I was only asked to play a singles match, since Roland Garros I knew that.
"This story I was supposed to play a doubles match - I don't know where that story comes from."