‘Is He F***king Kidding Me?’- Tennis Journalist Faces the Wrath of Angry Rafael Nadal Fans for His Moral Policing on Pedro Cachin’s Fan-Boy Act

Rafael Nadal‘s unstoppable march continues as he triumphs over Pedro Cachin to storm into the Madrid Open fourth round. Following the match, the 37-year-old tennis legend shared a warm moment with Cachin at the net and even gifted the world number 91 a matching shirt as a token of appreciation. The moment was filled with love between the two players, and a journalist brought a totally different angle to the story and left tennis fans stunned.

Just after the match, the 29-year-old tennis player made a request to Nadal. He stated, “It’s a dream come true for me, I’m not sure what is the protocol, but can I ask you for a shirt?” While the 22-time Grand Slam champion agreed with a smile and gave an autographed t-shirt to Cachin, a British journalist drew a different take that grabbed all the attention over the same.

Tennis fans disappointed over the British commentator’s take on Rafael Nadal’s sweet exchange

David Law is a well-known personality in the world of tennis broadcasting. He is known for his perceptive analysis on BT Sport and BBC Radio Five Live, besides his work on the Tennis Podcast. Law recently took to his Twitter account to highlight how “asking for your opponent’s shirt at the net ain’t it?”

Many tennis fans resonated with his sentiments, they also expressed their dissatisfaction with the connection the commentator made. A fan questioned the commentator’s take and wrote, “Is it that deep tho like.” 

On the other hand, another fan made fun of Law’s comment and called – “The tennis police are here!” Subsequently, a fan shared his disappointment with the comment, “Is this clickbait? Is he just a hater, or is he f…king kidding me?” 

Another fan raised a question, “Why do people have a problem with everything hahaha who cares” 

Lastly, a fan highlighted how the broadcasters are always on the negative side of the story. “What is this strange correlation between tennis broadcasters/podcasters and utterly awful takes?? And as if there isn’t already enough gatekeeping in tennis…”

However, the Argentinian tennis player took to his Instagram account to share his take on the gift. He shared a picture of the t-shirt he received, and wrote, “Thank you @rafaelnadal. It was a dream.” Interestingly, a similar incident took place between the former world number one and Roger Federer during the 2007 Hamburg Masters.

When Rafa asked Federer for a t-shirt

Back in 2007, after the 42-year-old Swiss tennis legend defeated the Spaniard in the final and ended his open-era record of an 81-match winning streak on the clay, both of them shared a similar moment. Nadal apparently asked for Federer’s signature shirt in a gesture that went beyond tennis conventions when the World No. 1 defeated him in the final.

A source, according to the Brisbane Times, stated, “Roger signed it in the changing rooms. Both were very happy.” In tennis, it’s not customary to trade shirts for mementos, but Nadal and Federer, both embraced the traditions of the game, beautifully.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Nadal giving out his t-shirt to his opponent? Do let us know in the comment section below.