Rafael Nadal experienced an uncomfortable moment in Rio de Janeiro 2015 / as.com
If there is a situation that Rafael Nadal must live with, and it causes him enormous suffering, it is that of injuries. The most complex is that of Müller-Weiss syndrome, a foot problem that continues to torment it and requires complex treatment.
And if we talk about suffering, the former number 1 experienced a moment that also bothered him… although much less than the discomfort caused by physical pain. He happened seven years ago so, from a distance, it can be seen as a laughing anecdote.
Nadal played the tournament in Rio de Janeiro, in 2015, and his rival in the quarterfinals was the Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. In a fairly even match, the man from Manaco won the first set, but Cuevas took the second and forced the duel to a third set.
So, the current winner of 22 Grand Slams requested to retire to the bathroom… but when he returned, it was with his pants inside out. The sponsor’s logo was seen on the back, so the chair umpire asked him to put it on correctly.
The unusual thing about the case is that “Rafa” was able to play the first game. That part was just finished when the local Carlos Bernardes told the player that he should change his pants. The mancorí believed that he could return to the locker room… but no: Bernardes forced the tennis player to do it in front of the 7 thousand people who filled the stadium.
Thus, he put on a towel to cover himself, and the television cameras struck him out by taking off and putting on the garment. After that uncomfortable episode, more than one could have fallen for his performance. Nadal? He won 6-0, finishing 64, 57 and 60.
According to the site Match Tennis, after this inconvenience, the 3 in the world asked the ATP not to be directed by Bernardes. The body granted his wish, although only for a while, since a few years later he returned to designate the Brazilian in his matches.
