Chair umpire ‘Denies’ Rafael Nadal’s privileged request for towels being brought to him by ball boys
Rafael Nadal requested the umpire to let ball boys bring to him towels between points, complaining the towel box is too far away. However, the umpire refused to give him this privilege.
Follow Us
Rafael Nadal (Image Credit: EuroSport)
World No.2 Rafael Nadal was expecting a smooth ride against World No. 38 Jack Draper in the first round of the Australian Open 2023. However, the young lad from Great Britain is giving tough competition to the Spaniard. The 22-time Grand Slam champion is already struggling with form and fitness, and the Australian heat may be causing the former World No. 1 to wear down soon.
The two-time Australian Open champion is trying to take as much time as he can and settle his nerves. He also wants to conserve his energy as this tie seems to become a showdown until the fifth set.
Meanwhile, an incident came to a tennis fans’ notice. He took to social media to share his views and raised a valid point.
The 36-year-old asked the umpire if any of the ball boys could bring tennis towels for him. However, the umpire refused to accept his request. Before the advent of COVID-19, it was the duty of ball boys to get towels for the players. However, to stop COVID-19 from spreading, new regulations followed suit in 2020. Ball boys and ball girls are no longer required to bring sweaty towels to the players.
Keep Exploring: “Far from his best” Patrick Mouratoglou casts doubt on Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open chances
Jack Draper gave a tough fight to Rafael Nadal in the first round
Defending champion and top seed Rafael Nadal took to the court on the first day of the Australian Open 2023. He was up against British sensation Jack Draper in the first round of the tournament. The Spaniard had lost six out of his last seven matches. This includes his two singles matches losses against Cameron Norrie and Alex de Minaur at the 2023 United Cup.
Hence, he was under a lot of pressure coming into this tournament. Meanwhile, Jack Draper was confident for ‘first day, biggest upset’ and it looked like the 21-year-old was very serious about it as he won the second set. However, Rafael Nadal won the third set. Rafael Nadal was leading with a scoreline of 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, as the players took this match into the fourth set.
The situation was equanimously poised for the ‘King of Clay’ to thrive. He is known to win matches in impossible situations. Similar scenes were witnessed. Jack Draper could not wrestle against him for long as Rafael Nadal came hard at him. He won the fourth set, 6-1, to advance into the second round. However, the British player must have learned a lot from this encounter. Also, he must have made a lot of fans as he gave a tough fight to the defending champion.
Incase you missed it:
“Iga Swiatek isn’t perfect,” Chris Evert believes anyone can win the 2023 Australian Open
Doubles fame Sam Stosur to bow out in front of home fans at the 2023 Australian Open
Stay Updated!
Abhar Indorkar
(451 Articles Published)