Rafael Nadal is back on the courts after a long hiatus! Fans have been buzzing with excitement as the Spanish legend prepares to face Nuno Borges in the finals of the Bastad Open. But as with many great comebacks, Nadal’s return isn’t without its fair share of drama. This time, it’s not just his powerful forehand or unparalleled agility making headlines, but a major controversy sparked by his decision on Saturday.

Nadal played some sensational tennis on the clay courts of the Swedish Open. But as he reached the finals of the tournament, he decided to withdraw from the doubles category thereby downplaying Casper Ruud, his doubles partner. As soon as this information was shared on X by a user, the Novak Djokovic fans seemed to take offense despite Nadal’s ‘cool’ remarks.

Nadal revealed that all was cool between him and Ruud. Soon after the match, Rafa also said that they all were professionals, and if it was the other way around, he would be telling Ruud not to play the doubles as well. But this did not pacify the fans.

Several fans took to social media to express their displeasure over Rafa’s decision and compared him with other players from the tennis fraternity. But as the backlashes continue, Rafa’s victory in the singles category is crucial for him to gain confidence ahead of the Paris Olympics.

‘Sad…’ fans lash out at Rafael Nadal for downplaying Casper Ruud

As soon as the above tweet gained traction, several fans expressed their disagreement with Nadal’s decision. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), a user wrote, “I wonder if Nadal will get the same nice words from those who heavily criticised Emma🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️” Earlier, Emma Raducanu withdrew from the mixed doubles of Wimbledon, thereby marking an end to Andy Murray’s Wimbledon dreams in his last season. 

She cited the same reason as Nadal as she advanced to the fourth of the grass-court Grand Slam. Had Emma played that match, she would have been forced to play in the singles category as well the next day. But this decision did not sit well with Murray fans who immensely targeted the WTA star for her call. The series of backlashes continued for Nadal.

Another user wrote, “If it was Novak who withdrew, there will be so many posts bashing him.” Djokovic’s relationship with the tennis fans has not been positive enough. Even in the recently concluded Wimbledon, he was seen engaging in a tussle with them over alleged booing gestures, which drew enough eyeballs. Besides his withdrawal from many doubles tournaments including the mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics has been met with sheer criticism. Another user highlighted the fact about Rafa’s decision.

“Rafa let his partner down. Sad,” the user wrote. Fate has not been favorable enough for Ruud lately and the phrase, “so close yet so far,” sits well with his scenario. While he reached the semi-finals of the French Open he could not advance further. Now, a title at sight for the Norwegian player at the Swedish Open doubles is once again met with a roadblock after Rafa’s call. Another fan responded similarly. 

Bashing Nadal, the user wrote, “Quite expected. I wondered how he plans to play.” Rafa has played some physically draining matches at the Swedish Open. Nadal played one of the longest best-of-three matches in 15 years on Friday against Mariano Navone at the Bastad quarterfinals, which lasted for over four hours. While many expected him to halt his run, he defied the odds. Despite that draining match, the Spaniard demonstrated his agility on Saturday again and won the semi-final clash against Duje Ajdukovic.

Another user joined the fray with a similar comment. Taking to X, the user wrote, “Poor Casper,” highlighting the ill fate that the star player has been met with. Despite the backlashes, Nadal is now set to play in the finals of the Swedish Open. It will be interesting to see if he can win his first ATP title in two years and mark an end to the drought.