Nadal hits back over damning accusation

On a hot 31 degree day, the tempers were fraying in the men’s quarterfinal between 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal and 22-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov.Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >History nearly repeated itself as the Canadian fought back to win the next two sets as Nadal battled stomach issues.In the 2021 Australian Open, Nadal led Stefanos Tsitsipas two sets to love but ended up losing in five.However, the 35-year-old Spaniard powered home to take the victory 6-3 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3.But the second set started with a furious outburst from the young Canadian, who took an extraordinary swipe at umpire Carlos Bernardes, clearly picked up saying “You guys are all corrupt” over the court microphones.The issue at the centre of the drama was the service clock and the rule that the receiver needs to be ready at the reasonable pace of the server, which is a time of about 12 to 15 seconds.However, the server cannot serve until the receiver is ready.In the first game of the second set, Shapovalov was ready to serve, but Nadal was not.Nadal has long been criticised for his quirks and superstitions making him one of the slower servers on the tour, including a 2019 outburst from Aussie Nick Kyrgios, who was penalised for time-wasting despite serving within the allotted time at the Cincinnati Masters of that year.But Shapovalov, who was serving to start the second set, was left fuming at the chair umpire.“Started the clock so long ago and he’s still not ready to play. You’ve got to call him,” the Canadian raged at the umpire.He then walked back to serve and when Rafa still wasn’t ready, he added: “He’s not ready to play.”Bernardes replied: “You’re not ready either.”Shapovalov: “What do you mean I’m not ready to play?”Bernardes: “Because you’re coming to talk to me.”Shapovalov: “Are you kidding me? You guys are all corrupt.”Tennis legend Jim Courier said: “That’s not going to ingratiate him to the chair umpire either, not making any friends out here”.Shapovalov held his serve on the first game but before the second game, Shapovalov was ready to go but Nadal took his full clock to get going.And the Canadian was still fuming.But the umpire was ready for him this time.Pointing to the clock, he said: “You have eight seconds to play, what do you want? Why are you looking at me like I need to watch, you have the shot clock for this.”Nadal then came to mid-court as the experienced star looked to cool down the situation.Nadal had his own run ins with Bernardes, having previously asked to not have the experienced chair umpire on his matches after a 2015 run in during a match in Rio de Janeiro, when the Spaniard realised his shorts were on backwards.He asked for permission to fix the problem but was handed a time warning when he took too long.After the situation, Nadal said: “I think is better for both of us if we are not in court at the same time for a while after what happened in Rio de Janeiro. That’s it. No problem with him personally.”‘Preferential treatment’: Nadal-Shapovalov at oddsAfter the match, Shapovalov backtracked slightly but doubled down that the biggest names in tennis get away with a bit more.“I mean, I think I misspoke when I said he’s corrupt or whatever I said... it’s definitely emotional but I do stand by my side,” he told reporters.“I think it’s unfair, you know, how much Rafa is getting away with.“I mean, I’m completely ready to play and the clock is ticking 3, 2, 1, clicking towards zero, and I’m looking at the ump, and, you know, obviously I’m going to speak up and say something.“I’ve been ready to play for a minute and a half, and he tells me he’s not going to give him a code violation because I’m not ready to play. To me, it’s a big joke if somebody says that.“And then after the fourth set, I mean, the guy goes — and for the same thing last year I wasn’t allowed to take a toilet break when I asked for a medical. He had alreadytaken two medicals. “He was getting medically evaluated, that’s what the ump said after the fourth set, getting medically evaluated, and after the evaluation the guy goes and takes a toilet break.It’s like, where is the line? “And again, I respect everything that Rafa has done and I think he’s an unbelievable player. But, you know, there’s got to be some boundaries, some rules set. It’s just so frustrating as a player. You know, you feel like you’re not just playing against the player; you’re playing against the umpires, you’re playing against so much more.”When asked if the likes of Nadal gets preferential treatment, Shapovalov said: “Of course. 100 per cent he does. 100 per cent.“Every other match that I have played, the pace has been so quick because the refs have been on the clock after every single point. “This one, I mean, after the first two sets it was like an hour and a half just because he’s dragged out so much after every single point. He’s given so much time in between sets and all this. It’s just dragged out.”He also said the Big Three are “legends of the game but when you step on the court it should be equal for everyone.”But Nadal hit back in his own press conference and said that he doesn’t get special treatment.“Me, personally or just the top players?” he began, clarifying what exactly Shapovalov said.“No. Not in that case. I really believe that on the court you don’t deserve better treatment than others and I don’t want it and I don’t feel I have it.“Without a doubt, as everyone knows, I have huge respect for Carlos [Bernardes]. I don’t think that is the case.“I really believe sometimes it is always in the mind that the top players get bigger advantages and honestly on court that is not true. That is my feeling. I never felt I had advantages on court and really believe he is wrong.”Nadal also added he felt “sorry for him”, saying it’s “tough to accept to lose a match like this”.‘Out of order’: World reacts to outburstCourier said that Shapovalov was “out of order” in the exchange for appealing so early.However it has been a bone of contention for the players about the timing of when the umpires have started the actual clock.“The shot clock was at seven and he had his hands up in the air like Nadal was doing something wrong,” he said on Nine’s coverage.“Here we go, a conversation between the two players, we don’t see that too often do we?“Shapovalov has no business putting his hands up in the air when there’s still time on the clock.“If the clock’s zero, then he should say, ‘Bernardes, call it’. The frustration from the first set is bubbling over a little bit.”Aussie tennis legend Todd Woodbridge said that Nadal looked the older statesman in the heated situation.“Rafa walked up with authority as if to say, ‘Now son, come here’ and put his hand out gently as to say, ‘We don’t have issues. You just get back there and play and we’ll get it all done’,” Todd Woodbridge said in commentary on Nine.“It was like a senior diffusing moment. A lot of other players would’ve gone a lot hotter a lot quicker than Rafa did.”Social media was quick to erupt over the drama.

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January 25, 2022 at 11:55PM
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On a hot 31 degree day, the tempers were fraying in the men’s quarterfinal between 20-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal and 22-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov.Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial >History nearly repeated itself as the Canadian fought back to win the next two sets as Nadal battled stomach issues.In the 2021 Australian Open, Nadal led Stefanos Tsitsipas two sets to love but ended up losing in five.However, the 35-year-old Spaniard powered home to take the victory 6-3 6-4 4-6 3-6 6-3.But the second set started with a furious outburst from the young Canadian, who took an extraordinary swipe at umpire Carlos Bernardes, clearly picked up saying “You guys are all corrupt” over the court microphones.The issue at the centre of the drama was the service clock and the rule that the receiver needs to be ready at the reasonable pace of the server, which is a time of about 12 to 15 seconds.However, the server cannot serve until the receiver is ready.In the first game of the second set, Shapovalov was ready to serve, but Nadal was not.Nadal has long been criticised for his quirks and superstitions making him one of the slower servers on the tour, including a 2019 outburst from Aussie Nick Kyrgios, who was penalised for time-wasting despite serving within the allotted time at the Cincinnati Masters of that year.But Shapovalov, who was serving to start the second set, was left fuming at the chair umpire.“Started the clock so long ago and he’s still not ready to play. You’ve got to call him,” the Canadian raged at the umpire.He then walked back to serve and when Rafa still wasn’t ready, he added: “He’s not ready to play.”Bernardes replied: “You’re not ready either.”Shapovalov: “What do you mean I’m not ready to play?”Bernardes: “Because you’re coming to talk to me.”Shapovalov: “Are you kidding me? You guys are all corrupt.”Tennis legend Jim Courier said: “That’s not going to ingratiate him to the chair umpire either, not making any friends out here”.Shapovalov held his serve on the first game but before the second game, Shapovalov was ready to go but Nadal took his full clock to get going.And the Canadian was still fuming.But the umpire was ready for him this time.Pointing to the clock, he said: “You have eight seconds to play, what do you want? Why are you looking at me like I need to watch, you have the shot clock for this.”Nadal then came to mid-court as the experienced star looked to cool down the situation.Nadal had his own run ins with Bernardes, having previously asked to not have the experienced chair umpire on his matches after a 2015 run in during a match in Rio de Janeiro, when the Spaniard realised his shorts were on backwards.He asked for permission to fix the problem but was handed a time warning when he took too long.After the situation, Nadal said: “I think is better for both of us if we are not in court at the same time for a while after what happened in Rio de Janeiro. That’s it. No problem with him personally.”‘Preferential treatment’: Nadal-Shapovalov at oddsAfter the match, Shapovalov backtracked slightly but doubled down that the biggest names in tennis get away with a bit more.“I mean, I think I misspoke when I said he’s corrupt or whatever I said... it’s definitely emotional but I do stand by my side,” he told reporters.“I think it’s unfair, you know, how much Rafa is getting away with.“I mean, I’m completely ready to play and the clock is ticking 3, 2, 1, clicking towards zero, and I’m looking at the ump, and, you know, obviously I’m going to speak up and say something.“I’ve been ready to play for a minute and a half, and he tells me he’s not going to give him a code violation because I’m not ready to play. To me, it’s a big joke if somebody says that.“And then after the fourth set, I mean, the guy goes — and for the same thing last year I wasn’t allowed to take a toilet break when I asked for a medical. He had alreadytaken two medicals. “He was getting medically evaluated, that’s what the ump said after the fourth set, getting medically evaluated, and after the evaluation the guy goes and takes a toilet break.It’s like, where is the line? “And again, I respect everything that Rafa has done and I think he’s an unbelievable player. But, you know, there’s got to be some boundaries, some rules set. It’s just so frustrating as a player. You know, you feel like you’re not just playing against the player; you’re playing against the umpires, you’re playing against so much more.”When asked if the likes of Nadal gets preferential treatment, Shapovalov said: “Of course. 100 per cent he does. 100 per cent.“Every other match that I have played, the pace has been so quick because the refs have been on the clock after every single point. “This one, I mean, after the first two sets it was like an hour and a half just because he’s dragged out so much after every single point. He’s given so much time in between sets and all this. It’s just dragged out.”He also said the Big Three are “legends of the game but when you step on the court it should be equal for everyone.”But Nadal hit back in his own press conference and said that he doesn’t get special treatment.“Me, personally or just the top players?” he began, clarifying what exactly Shapovalov said.“No. Not in that case. I really believe that on the court you don’t deserve better treatment than others and I don’t want it and I don’t feel I have it.“Without a doubt, as everyone knows, I have huge respect for Carlos [Bernardes]. I don’t think that is the case.“I really believe sometimes it is always in the mind that the top players get bigger advantages and honestly on court that is not true. That is my feeling. I never felt I had advantages on court and really believe he is wrong.”Nadal also added he felt “sorry for him”, saying it’s “tough to accept to lose a match like this”.‘Out of order’: World reacts to outburstCourier said that Shapovalov was “out of order” in the exchange for appealing so early.However it has been a bone of contention for the players about the timing of when the umpires have started the actual clock.“The shot clock was at seven and he had his hands up in the air like Nadal was doing something wrong,” he said on Nine’s coverage.“Here we go, a conversation between the two players, we don’t see that too often do we?“Shapovalov has no business putting his hands up in the air when there’s still time on the clock.“If the clock’s zero, then he should say, ‘Bernardes, call it’. The frustration from the first set is bubbling over a little bit.”Aussie tennis legend Todd Woodbridge said that Nadal looked the older statesman in the heated situation.“Rafa walked up with authority as if to say, ‘Now son, come here’ and put his hand out gently as to say, ‘We don’t have issues. You just get back there and play and we’ll get it all done’,” Todd Woodbridge said in commentary on Nine.“It was like a senior diffusing moment. A lot of other players would’ve gone a lot hotter a lot quicker than Rafa did.”Social media was quick to erupt over the drama.