Nadal Is Worst Offender Of Slow Play On Court

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 25th November 2013

EXHIBITION GAME BETWEEN RAFAEL NADAL AND NOVAK DJOKOVIC IN BUENOS AIRES

Nadal Is Worst Offender Of Slow Play On Court

epa03964179 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal returns a ball to Serbian Novak Djokovic during an exhibition game in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 24 November 2013. EPA/David Fernandez |

Rafael Nadal tops the ATP lists in more ways than one, with the notoriously touchy top player in the world also the worst offender when it comes to warnings for slow play. Nadal was cautioned a table-topping 30 times during the season as his increasing string of rituals and tics lengthens the time between the end of a point and the start of his serve.

The Spaniard, whose hands fly to predetermined spots on his tennis shorts, shoulders, face, ears and head, prior to every serve and again on every return, almost never manages to get the timing right and is noted for consistently slow play. Second on the list of bad boys is American John Isner, who drew 14 warnings. Following on are Argentine Juan Del Potro and Italian Fabio Fognini (11).

Other elite players don’t seem to have all of Nadal’s problems, with Novak Djokov warned 10 times; punctual Swiss Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka are the only players from the Top 10 never to have been warned in 2013.

Time warning offenders for 2013. Rafael Nadal, 30; John Isner, 14; Juan Del Potro-Fabio Fognini, 11; Novak Djokovic, 10; Tomas Berdych-Ernests Gulbis, 9; Richard Gasquet, 8; Kevin Anderson-Feliciano Lopez-Andy Murray, 6.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Atp, Fabio Fognini, John Isner, Juan Martin Del Potro, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Richard Gasquet, Tennis, Tennis News, Tomas Berdych