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| Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov met at the net at one point to talk about the Canadian’s complaints about the pace of play |
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA — Rafael Nadal has had enough opportunities to reconnect himself with tennis at the Australian Open after missing the game he has long loved.
At the age of 35, he is in the semifinals of the Australian Open, only two victories away from breaking his three-way tie with Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and capturing his 21st Grand Slam singles championship.
It also put him on the defense Tuesday when his opponent, Denis Shapovalov of Canada, claimed that Nadal had benefitted from favoritism in their quarterfinal, which Nadal won 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, in four hours and eight minutes.
The claims leveled by Shapovalov, a teenage Canadian, were gently dismissed by Nadal. "I believe he is mistaken," Nadal stated.
Shapovalov, who did not help his situation by dropping his serve early in the fifth set due to an edgy, error-filled game, did not take the loss well, smashing his racket into the blue hardcourt in Rod Laver Arena after his final volley sailed wide. It was a dramatic contrast to Nadal, who in his almost 20-year professional career has never smashed a racket in rage during a match.
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| Shapovalov argued with the umpire at multiple points, complaining that Nadal was being allowed too much time during breaks. |
But Shapovalov was heartbroken and upset with Nadal, the Spanish champion whom Shapovalov first met as a nine-year-old ball boy during the Canadian Open in Montreal and then defeated in a Hollywood-style match in the same city in 2017.
Shapovalov, who was once wide-eyed about Nadal, did not hold back on Tuesday, claiming during and after the match that Nadal was given more time between points than was allowed.
Nadal changed his clothes after winning the first set and took his time getting out of his chair after the umpire, Carlos Bernardes, called "Time." While waiting for Nadal to arrive on the court, Shapovalov took the balls and prepared to serve, and when Nadal arrived approximately 45 seconds after Bernardes' pronouncement, Shapovalov approached Bernardes and stated Nadal should have been fined for the delay.
Bernardes refused, so Shapovalov returned to the baseline and addressed Bernardes again, telling him that Nadal was still not ready. "You're not ready to play either," Bernardes said, "since you came to talk to me."
"Are you serious?" As he walked away, Shapovalov remarked. "Every single one of you is a crook."
🗣️ "You guys are all corrupt!"
— Wide World of Sports (@wwos) January 25, 2022
Denis Shapovalov has unloaded on the chair umpire in a stunning outburst on Rod Laver arena. 😳🤯#AusOpen - Live on Channel 9 and 9Now pic.twitter.com/BUdTxut1Fc
Shapovalov, 22, did not earn a code violation for the remark, but the Australian Open might punish or discipline him following an additional investigation. "I believe I misspoke," Shapovalov subsequently apologized. He had another discussion with Bernardes as Nadal prepared to serve the second game of the second set, despite the fact that the serve clock was still ticking. Nadal moved closer to the net. After a brief interaction, Shapovalov approached him and the game resumed.
Shapovalov stated, "It was nothing against Rafa." "Rafa was serving, and I expected the umpire to glance at Rafa, but instead the umpire was staring me down." "I couldn't understand it."
But Shapovalov was not finished with Nadal, arguing with Bernardes after the fourth set that Nadal was violating the spirit of the rules by taking an extended break off the court before the final set for a combined medical evaluation and toilet visit, despite the fact that Nadal had been examined briefly on the court for stomach problems.
Nadal subsequently said that he began to feel ill late in the second set, most likely as a result of the hot, humid conditions and his lengthy absence from the game. After missing five months due to a longstanding foot ailment, he returned to the tour this year, only to contract Covid-19 in late December during an exhibition in Abu Dhabi. In Melbourne, where he won the title in 2009, he is seeded sixth.
As they awaited Nadal's return, Shapovalov grilled Bernardes, claiming that he had not been permitted to combine the two breaks at a previous tournament. After the fourth set had been completed, Nadal served seven minutes later.
When asked if Nadal received preferential treatment after the match, Shapovalov replied, "100% he does," and added that there needed to be boundaries.
"The tempo has been so rapid in every previous match I've played because the officials have been on the clock after every single point," Shapovalov remarked. "This one took like an hour and a half after the first two sets just because he's dragging out so much after every single point." He's been given a lot of time in between sets and everything."
When serving, players have 25 seconds between points, however, chair umpires have the final say on when the shot clock begins. When returning serve, players must follow the server's "reasonable speed," a word in the tennis rule book that can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
"I admire what Rafa has accomplished and believed he's a tremendous player," Shapovalov added. "However, some boundaries and norms must be established." As a player, it's quite aggravating. You don't only feel like you're competing against the player; you also feel like you're playing against the umpires and so much more. It's a challenge. After all, it was a major break after the fourth set, and as a result, the impetus has vanished."
"They are legends of the game," Shapovalov said of Nadal, "but it should be equal when you go on the court."
Bernardes, a veteran Brazilian chair umpire, did award Nadal a time violation in the fourth set for lingering too long before serving. Bernardes and Nadal haven't always agreed, and during a cooling-off phase in 2015, Bernardes was barred from working in Nadal's matches. However, the informal prohibition was quickly lifted.
Shapovalov accused Nadal of partiality, but Nadal denied it and claimed it was common procedure to take a little longer to change clothes and equipment after a set played in such hot weather.
"I think he was really wrong," Nadal said of Shapovalov in Spanish. "You become irritated when you lose a match like this." Denis has a special place in my heart. I believe he is a kind man with a lot of potentials, including the ability to win numerous Grand Slams. I have no desire to engage in a debate with him. But I believe he is mistaken. He's young, and when you're young, you're bound to make errors."
Rafael Nadal beat Denis Shapovalov to advance to the semifinals. He is two wins from his record 21st Grand Slam title
Because of the introduction of electronic line-calling, shot timers between points, and, this season, stiffer time limitations on restroom breaks, Nadal noticed that the regulations have been tightened in recent seasons to make it harder to demonstrate a bias to the top of any player.
"You have less room to affect things anymore," Nadal remarked, adding that he was not looking for a competitive advantage on the court.
"On the court, I truly feel you don't deserve to be treated any differently than the other players," Nadal remarked. "And I don't think I deserve it, and I don't believe I have it."
In the second half of Tuesday's encounter, Nadal was far from his best, missing several of his signature forehand passing shots on the run by big margins. He also had 11 double faults, which was a lot for him. But he was able to serve brilliantly when it was most required, including an ace to save a break opportunity in the fifth set's opening game and two more breakpoints in the third game.
"I was physically devastated," Nadal said, "but my serve functioned great." "Every game that I won with my serve was a victory for me."
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