Rafael Nadal, who is aiming for a 4th title at the Indian Wells Masters 1000, pleaded for “tougher sanctions” against players who have bloodshed, like Alexander Zverev in Acapulco.
Keystone
“I am in a difficult position. I’m torn, because I have a good relationship with Sasha (Zverev), he’s someone I like. But he knows he was wrong and he recognized it very quickly. Which is positive. On the other hand, if we are not able to control this type of behavior on the court or find a way to sanction it in a stronger way, then we players can have a feeling of impunity. said the Spaniard at a press conference.
“However, as in all sports, we must be positive examples for the young people who watch us. So on the one hand, I don’t want Sasha to be punished, but on the other hand, I would like to see harsher penalties for this kind of behavior, because it will protect the sport, the officials and everyone present at a game,” he insisted.
On Tuesday, the ATP imposed an eight-week suspension from all competition and a suspended fine of $25,000, with a probationary period ending on February 22, 2023, a year after the incident occurred, to the against Zverev. The latter had come out of his hinges, at the end of a doubles match lost in Acapulco, hitting the referee’s chair three times, before sitting down and then getting up to insult him and give a final blow. of racket.
“Never recovered to 100%”
Excluded from the tournament, the Olympic gold medalist in Tokyo had “asked for forgiveness” after his “unacceptable” outburst of anger. Initially, the men’s circuit fined him $40,000 and deprived him of his winnings in Mexico ($31,570) as well as points earned in the standings for singles and doubles. disputed.
In the Californian desert, Nadal will try to continue his invincibility in 2022, which saw him win the three tournaments in which he was involved, including the Australian Open to become the most successful in Grand Slams (21) ahead of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
Impressive
A return to the top all the more striking as the Spaniard, who rose to 4th place in the world, had ceased all competition for more than four months at the end of last year, to treat an injury to his left foot.
“When will my foot be 100% restored? Never. It is a wound that cannot be healed. It’s the truth. Some days it’s good, others not. You have to manage it as best you can and find a way to play as much as possible without limits, ”he said.
“To say that my foot is no longer a source of concern for me is not true. I worry about my foot every day. We’ll see how it will evolve. For now, I couldn’t be happier. But there will be a time when I will have to do a little more care, maybe stop for a little while and find the right balance between playing and resting.
ATS
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