“They Probably Don’t Understand How Tennis Goes”- Rafael Nadal Hits Out At Serbian Fans

Rafael Nadal had some strong words for the Serbian crowd after his tough loss to Novak Djokovic in the finals of the ATP cup. In fact, not only did The Spaniard lose his singles rubber, he refused to participate in the doubles citing lack of energy.

Ultimately, Spain lost even the doubles competition 6-3, 6-4. This led to Serbia becoming the first winner of the ATP Cup.

Why Was Rafael Nadal Upset With The Serbian Crowd?

Serbian crowd was extremely supportive of their team throughout the finals tie. The chants of Novak echoed throughout the arena as the fervent fans pushed their team to victory.

However, a frustrated Nadal who was already being countered by Djokovic on every aspect of the game, took offence to the crowd’s attitude.

“Sonetimes people from some countries, they probably don’t understand how the tennis goes. They think it’s about football. Atmosphere in tennis is different. At some point, the respect with small part of the crowd have not been there.”

After Roberto Bautista Agut gave Spain an important victory in the first rubber, it became crucial for Rafa to seal the deal in the clash of the titans.

Read More- Rafael Nadal Complaints About A Short Off Season Break

Rafael Nadal never looked in control as his serve got broken in the opening game. You can imagine how loud the crowd was by the fact that the umpire had to request them to keep quiet two times during the eight minute game.

Nadal was broken for the second time in the seventh game. In fact,  he again went to the chair umpire to complain about the crowd.

The second set was better for Rafa as he fought brilliantly on his serve. As the match slipped into tie breaker, Novak Djokovic held his nerve despite a shaky start.

Where Do Nadal And Djokovic Go From Here?

This was a crucial victory for Djokovic as it shows that the Serbian is still dominant on the hard court. In fact, the biggest roadblock in his Australian Open crown defence is Rafael Nadal.

However, today’s victory shows that Novak is more than ready for this challenge.

Do you think anyone can challenge Novak Djokovic’s dominance in the Australian Open?