A few days before announcing his absence from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells because he was not yet ready, Rafael Nadal played an exhibition match in Las Vegas against countryman Carlos Alcaraz. Many criticized him for preferring a well-paid exhibition match to an official ATP tournament.
Andy Roddick destroyed all those who criticized the legendary Spanish player for choosing him, defending Nadal from the harsh criticism of his haters.
“Rafa was at Indian Wells a week before to get used to the surface and try to test himself. Just because he played an exhibition doesn’t mean he was ready. I think it’s stupid to treat him this way. These guys put on a great show in Vegas, they did everything they could to make it fun, but it’s a lot different than playing against the best players on the planet in a tournament. And every decision I’ve made in the last 15 months has been tied to the possibility of playing the French Open,” explained Roddick.
“We are lucky to have had and to have an athlete like Rafael Nadal in tennis all this time. He shakes hands with every single person he meets. It’s like he never has a day off even with people. He’s a true gentleman,” he added, during his podcast Served with Andy Roddick.
Rafael Nadal© Candice Ward / Stringer Getty Images Sport
Rafael Nada will come back to his beloved clay-courts
After deciding to skip the Sunshine Doubles because he is not yet physically ready, Rafael Nadal will return directly to his beloved clay courts.
The Spaniard, via social media, showed himself to his fans in an intense training session on the green clay of the courts owned by Larry Ellison, the owner of the ATP Master 1000 in Indian Wells.
Nadal, shortly before making his debut in the Californian tournament, announced a new forfeit, which scared the many fans who were waiting for his return to the court. No injuries: the 22-time Slam champion realized that he was not yet able to compete to win and preferred to postpone his return appointment further.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login