Locker room chats always provide a bit more excitement to sports lovers about their favorites. Especially when it involves some of the biggest stars in the tennis world. Do you remember the moment when Rafael Nadal accused Lorenzo Sonego of ‘poor sportsmanship‘ during their third-round clash at the 2022 Wimbledon Championships? In the middle of the third set, the Spaniard told the Italian player to stop faking his grunts in the middle of points. Nadal even called Sonego to the net to have a little discussion. Although Rafa later admitted, “I think I was wrong“, the controversial moment became a top of discussion two months later at the 2022 Laver Cup.

The 2022 Laver Cup marked the last tournament in Roger Federer‘s career, and a few moments from the locker room chats were shared in his documentary, ‘FEDERER: Twelve Final Days.’ During an instance in the documentary, a childhood friend of Sonego, Matteo Berrettini was heard having an argument with Nadal about the Wimbledon incident. Rafael Nadal admitted he was a bit “tough at that moment,” but he felt Lorenzo Sonego perhaps extended his scream intentionally.

To this, Sonego’s compatriot, Matteo Berrettini, stated, “No, no, no he doesn’t do it on purpose“. Nadal quickly retorted, “For me, yes“. Berrettini went on to explain that he knows Sonego doesn’t do it on purpose as he knows his compatriot from his childhood days, but Rafa was adamant. He then enacted Sonego’s grunt when he returned the ball and hinted this perhaps brought a bit of discomfort to his game, although his impersonation made Federer chuckle.

Lorenzo Sonego expressed his disappointment with the Spaniard stating, “A player should not call his opponent on the net. You cannot do that at Wimbledon.” He believes Rafael Nadal should have had a word with the umpire instead of “distracting” him. Does it remind you of a similar moment when Roger Federer complained about Rafael Nadal’s extreme grunts during the 2024 AO? However, Nadal later apologized for his actions on both occasions.

Rafael Nadal admits his mistake in calling Lorenzo Sonego to the nets for a chat during the match

The Spaniard initiated a lengthy debate when they were 4-4 in the third set, and after that, he also chatted with Lorenzo Sonego in the locker room. Describing the whole incident, Rafael Nadal later stated, “Well, first of all, I have to say that I was wrong. Probably I will not. I should not call him on the net. So apologize for that. My mistake in that. No problem. I recognize that.”

He revealed he spoke with Sonego in the locker room and didn’t want to reveal their talk. However, he said, “Only thing I can say is I saw him personally. I apologize for that.” Nadal said his intentions were never to bother his opponent, but he just wanted to tell him one thing that was bothering him during that match.

Rafa concluded, saying, “I think there is some codes between players. Yeah, we had some issues there. But that’s it.” What are your thoughts on this controversial incident from the 2022 Wimbledon Championships?