March 11, (THEWILL) – After Alexander Zverev was given a controversial suspended sentence for his shocking actions in Acapulco, Spaniard career Grand Slam record-holder, Rafael Nadal, has urged for stiffer penalties for tennis players who abuse officials.
As THEWILL reported, the German Olympic gold medalist was kicked out of the singles draw at the ATP 500 tournament last month, after smashing his racquet on an umpire’s chair, following a doubles loss in the competition.
Since then, Zverev has been handed a one-year probationary period with no immediate punishment, and Nadal believes it is time to put a stop to what he sees as a rising pattern of dissension.
Making the point of modelling good behaviour, Nadal said: “I have a good relationship with Sascha, I like him, I practise with him very often, so I wish him all the very best. And he knows that he was wrong and he recognised that very early and that’s a positive thing.
“On the other hand, if we are not able to control this type of attitude on court, not just this one instance in particular, there has been other stuff going on in the last couple of months.
“If we are not able to penalise these types of attitudes in a little stronger way, then we as players will feel stronger and stronger all the time. In this sport, we have to be a positive example, especially for the kids.”
Nadal was speaking to the press ahead of his participation in the Indian Wells Masters 1000 competition, which begins on Saturday.
The Spaniard is a three-time champion in the desert and comes off a phenomenal 15-match winning streak in which he has won three trophies in 2022, including a record 21st Grand Slam victory at the Australian Open.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
