John McEnroe recently responded after Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner, demanded talks with the American. During Nadal’s first-round match against Rinky Hijikata at the US Open, McEnroe criticized him for taking a lot of time between serves and claimed the officials gave him special treatment.

The Spanish Superstar overcame the Australian Rinky Hijikata after falling behind a set in his first-round match at the US Open. The Spaniard ultimately triumphed 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-3.

McEnroe’s criticism of Rafael Nadal

A reporter questioned Nadal about whether breaking the serve clock rule would somehow create a negative image for his career. As evidence for his claim, the reporter also referenced McEnroe.

Nadal then gave it back to the journalist by saying that it was a joke. He further went on to state that he has been through a lot of warnings in his tennis career, but has never received a penalty for breaking a racket or for creating a mess on the court.

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READ MORE: VIDEO: Rafael Nadal Suffers a Bloody Cut in the Middle of His Match Against Fabio Fognini at US Open

“The problem for players like me, who are sweating that much, you know when you go to pick up the towel you gonna be in trouble with the time, so I’m not going very often,” said the Spanish.

He further went on to state that “I don’t think I’m receiving different treatment at all… I don’t understand why John can say that on TV, but I am going to have a chat with him later.”

When quizzed about Nadal’s response, McEnroe said, “We haven’t had that talk….He didn’t let me finish, whoever that d*mb journalist was. Rafael Nadal is entitled to do whatever the hell he wants. That’s part of what you get when you’re as good as that… We all know he’s been doing this for the past 10, 15 years.”

Nadal’s journey so far and the tough miles ahead

Rafael Nadal defeated Fabio Fognini on Thursday and advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open despite a terrible start and a bleeding nose.

Nadal initially struggled to establish any form of rhythm in the opening set and lost 6-2. The seasoned Italian then continued to take a 4-2 lead, boosting the chances of a shocker similar to the one he famously pulled off against the Spaniard at the Arthur Ashe Stadium seven years ago.

The players combined for 11 double faults and 15 serve breaks during the match. Nadal eventually recovered, and with the crowd’s support, clinched the victory.

Rafael Nadal will continue his pursuit of a 23rd Grand Slam victory when he faces off against Richard Gasquet in the third round of the US Open 2022 in New York on Saturday.

Watch This Story: Rafa’s On-Court Routine

The US Open, which the Spaniard has won four times, is the second-most successful Slam of his stellar career. Will he add another feather to his cap in Flushing Meadows? We just have to wait and watch how it all unfolds!