Rafael Nadal Insists He Won’t Play on Madrid Blue Clay Courts

Written by: Staff on 30th May 2012

Rafael Nadal Insists He Won’t Play on Madrid Blue Clay Courts

epa03240963 Rafael Nadal of Spain returns to Simone Bolelli of Italy during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 29 May 2012. EPA/IAN LANGSDON |

As Rafael Nadal successfully began his campaign for a seventh French Open title, Madrid tournament owner Ion Tiriac was sitting just a few feet away from the champion of Roland Garros as he patrolled the baseline at the Presidential Tribune end of Court Philippe Chatrier. But a few weeks on, the rift between the two men over Madrid’s blue clay court remains immense and apparently insurmountable.

Nadal angrily left the Caja Magica after losing in the round of 16 to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, stating he would never play the Mutua Madrid Open again if the blue clay remained. World no.1 Novak Djokovic said much the same. Tiriac meanwhile insisted the footing would most certainly be improved next year but the color would be the same.

“I didn’t change my mind two weeks later,” insisted Nadal when asked whether he might have over reacted. “When I say the things is because I really think the things. I don’t talk to talk. When I say something, I don’t do it because I feel bad or angry in that moment. or I feel angry in that moment, no?”

Nadal was critical of the Madrid court during his path to the Internazionale BNL d’Italia Masters title in Rome and he remains consistent. “I already know was a bad decision,” said the 25 year-old Majorcan.

“All the clay court tournaments are in very similar conditions. We cannot accept just in the middle of the clay court season a tournament with completely different conditions.”

Nadal certainly hopes that red clay will be restored in Madrid because he maintains he has strong feelings about the tournament. He continued: “I would like to come back and play in one of my favorite places to play tennis on tour, play with the support of the crowd and the country and the city is probably bigger than no other one place in the world.”

But Nadal concluded by saying there will be no compromise. The champion of Madrid, when the event was played indoors, in 2005 and again in its’ newer outdoor version five years later, said: “If next year the court is blue and I am not able to go there, it will be a big disappointing.”

Topics: 10sballs.com, blue clay, clay court tennis, Fernando Verdasco, Rafael Nadal, Roland Garros, Sports, Tennis News

Follow 10SBALLS.COM on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

10sBalls Top Stories

In Case You Missed It

EUGENIE BOUCHARD NAMED 2018 TENNIS CANADA FEMALE PLAYER OF THE YEAR / EUGENIE BOUCHARD NOMMÉE JOUEUSE DE L’ANNÉE 2018 DE TENNIS CANADA

Tennis Canada announced on Wednesday that Eugenie Bouchard is the winner of the 2018 Excellence Awards in the Female Player of the Year and Singles Player of the Year categories.

TENNIS NEWS • CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIPS • TOMMY HAAS, TAYLOR FRITZ, STEVE JOHNSON, MARDY FISH AND MORE

Time to get tickets to watch! Surly you have heard about The Largest Open Tennis Event in America!

TENNIS NEWS • RAFA NADAL CONFIRMS RETURN TO PRACTICE, EYES ABU DHABI EXHIBITION AND AUSTRALIAN SUMMER

According to Uncle Toni, Rafael Nadal was supposed to be back at practice on either Dec. 4 or 5. Well, better late than never!

Conchita Martínez prepara la temporada 2019 de Karolina Pliskova en Tenerife

Española y checa ya trabajaron juntas durante el pasado Open de Estados Unidos

ALEJANDRO’S FAVORITE PHOTOS FOR 10SBALLS FROM SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TOURNAMENTS

Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia hits a forehand to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during her second round match at the Nature Valley International tennis tournament in Eastbourne, Great Britain, on Tuesday, June 26, 2018.