Rafael Nadal Accuses ATP Of Not Caring About Players’ Health

Written by: Staff on 13th February 2013

Brazil Open Tennis tournament in Sao Paulo

Rafael Nadal Accuses ATP Of Not Caring About Players’ Health

epa03581170 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal returns a ball during a training at the Brazil Open Tennis tournament in Sao Paulo, Brazil, 12 February 2013. The tournament runs from 11 to 17 February. EPA/SEBASTIAO MOREIRA |

Whether or not Rafael Nadal’s uncharacteristically feisty mood was down to losing a clay-court final to somebody other than Novak Djokovic or Roger Federer for the first time in his career, only he will know. But the seven times French Open champion and former world no.1 vented his ire on the ATP World Tour for what he perceives to be: ‘a lack of care about players’ health.’

Nadal has made allegations before that too great a percentage of the ATP World Tour calendar is played on hard courts, and in turn maintained that is not good for his own body. But he chose a pre-tournament press conference in Sao Paolo, prior to his second comeback tournament at the Brasil Open, to broaden his attack.

“The ATP worries too little about the players and should care more for them,” said Nadal, who for several years served as Federer’s right hand man as Vice President of the tour’s Players’ Council.

“This is not a subject for the players, it’s a matter for doctors. The ATP has to start thinking about ways to lengthen the players’ careers. I can’t imagine football players playing on cement, I can’t imagine any other sport involving aggressive movements such as tennis being played on such aggressive surfaces such as ours. We are the only sport in the world making this mistake, and it won’t change.”

Nadal has sensibly began his comeback playing on South American clay, which is far kinder on players’ body and specifically knees, ankles and hips than hard courts. But in just a few weeks, he is scheduled to play the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and Sony Open in Miami, which are both contested on his least favorite surface.

He reiterated that too much play on hard court could affect his life beyond his professional playing career. “After ending the career it would be nice to be able to play football with friends or tennis,” he said. “But with this surface, I don’t think it’s going to be possible.

“For future generations, it would be good to see a less aggressive tennis life. Not only because of what happens during your career, but also because of what happens after your career, about how is your body when your tennis career is over.”

Nadal was also critical of the new directive brought in by the ATP World Tour this year, to more strictly enforce the 25-seconds rule between points and he, of course, is one of the prime culprits. Maintaining enforcement will not enhance better tennis, Nadal said: “People like to see great rallies, long matches, and for that to happen, the 25 seconds are not enough.

“If the ATP wants a sport which is faster but doesn’t take into consideration a lot of strategy or great rallies, then it’s right doing this. I think the players in the locker rooms are not very happy with that rule.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: ATP tennis news, Clay Court, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, tennis health, Tennis News