Rafael Nadal was forced to issue reminder to Wimbledon reporter after question
Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal was in no mood to give a politically correct answer when asked for his thoughts on whether Ash Barty should have played on Centre Court
Ash Barty, who was the top-ranked woman in the world at the time and had recently clinched the French Open title, found herself relegated to an outside court. Despite her status, she played on Court 2 for the second time in four matches and was upset by the relatively unknown American Alison Riske with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.
This sparked a heated discussion about whether Barty’s match should have been showcased on a grander stage instead of Nadal’s straightforward 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory over Joao Sousa.
Rafael Nadal didn’t hesitate to set the record straight when a journalist questioned his Centre Court credentials, reminding them that he was indeed the World No. 2 and a champion of 18 Grand Slams.
The incident unfolded at Wimbledon in 2019 when Nadal was seemingly challenged on whether his stature warranted his appearance on the prestigious court. Nadal isn’t in action this yearfollowing his retirement from the sport, but Emma Raducanu, who once sparked anger with her outfit choice, will make an appearance in London
The scheduling chaos of ‘Manic Monday’ in 2019 saw all 16 fourth-round matches for both men and women crammed into one day, sparking controversy over court assignments.
