“I Am Not Happy With It”: Rafael Nadal Hits Out Over Scheduling at Italian Open 2021
Follow Us
Rafael Nadal has made his displeasure known on the order of play at the ongoing Italian Open tennis tournament. Speaking to reporters after coming out on the winning side of a fiercely-contested third-round battle against home favorite Jannik Sinner, the Spaniard did not hold back on the scheduling of matches at the event.
Rafael Nadal said he was lucky not to play the third set against Jannik Sinner
The nine-time Rome champion, who is defending his 2020 title this year, voiced his regret over holding the press conference sooner than expected, claiming that he might have to kit up to play at 1 pm (local time) on Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“Unfortunately, we have to do the press conference faster than normal because they put me in third shift and that means I might play a 1. Everything is quite fair,” Nadal said.
Trending
Roger Federer Breaks Partnership With Billion Dollar Worth Italian Brand Days After Coco Gauff’s Stunning Commercial Appearance
April 12, 2024 07:23 PM EDT
Tennis News: Rafael Nadal Confirms Retirement ; Doping-Banned Mikael Ymer Announces Comeback; Stefanos Tsitsipas Dubbed as Hypocrite
April 15, 2024 06:22 PM EDT
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Girlfriend Paula Badosa Provides Saddening Health Update After Being Forced To Retire Against Aryna Sabalenka
April 19, 2024 03:58 AM EDT
ATP Munich 2024: Bizarre Interruption in Holger Rune’s Match Leaves Tennis Umpire Completely Baffled
April 18, 2024 07:04 PM EDT
Mad in Love, Stefanos Tsitsipas Delivers the Most Romantic Message for ‘Biggest Blessing’ Paula Badosa
April 16, 2024 01:23 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest Tennis stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
(Quotes have been translated)
The 13-time French Open champion, who was broken early on Wednesday and had to dig deep to put it past the rising Italian star, hinted that the poor scheduling leaves him short of adequate recovery time between matches.
He said that he was glad that the match didn’t go the full distance as then it would have left him with even less time ahead of his next against Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
“Sometimes things work like this here and I’m not happy with (it). It is 10 pm and we are here and I have been lucky not to go to the third set. If I play the third set, I have to be ready at 11.30 in case something happens and it seems somewhat exaggerated,” the current World No. 3 said.
Nadal said that more thought needs to go into scheduling matches
Having a go at the director of the tournament, who he said made the scheduling along with “someone from (the) ATP,” Nadal said that he clearly got things “wrong”.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
WATCH: When Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova Practiced Together at Italian Open
While adding that he doesn’t feel the physical effect of the scheduling as yet, better wisdom and more thought need to go into this critical aspect of holding a tournament such as this.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“I do not feel harmed, but the one who has made the schedule, who is usually the director of the tournament with someone from (the) ATP, is wrong. I just say things as I think they are,” the ‘King of Clay’ said.
In perhaps what led him to hit out publicly over the scheduling, Nadal had picked up a time violation warning from the chair umpire after he ran down the seconds within which to hit a serve.