WATCH | Puzzled Rafael Nadal looks for his racquet after the ballboy nicks it
A surprised Rafael Nadal complained to the chair umpire about his missing racquet
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal wore a puzzled look during his first-round matchat the Australian Open when one of his racquets went missing.
During the first set, with the scoreline reading 4-3, both players went to their respective seats to refresh before a changeover. However, Nadal was left perplexed as one of his racquets was missing.
Agitated about the racquet, Nadal told the ballboy standing beside his seat,“It’s this one for restringing, not that [one you took]. I need the racket back.”
Nadal told the chair umpire about the quandary who could be seen using the phone to request that the racquet be returned to the Spaniard.
After looking a bit tense, Nadal saw the funny side of the incident and went towards his opponent Jack Draper and laughingly informed him about the situation.
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Commentator John Fitzgeraldjoked at the sequence of events and said, "Goodness me, that's a big mistake and he knows. He knows the tension, he knows the sequence he wants to use the racquets in."
Fitzgerald's co-commentatorMark Petsch added,“You don’t often get a first in a Rafa match after all these years, but that is definitely the first that that would’ve happened.”
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It wasn't clear if Nadal got his racquet back but the distraction certainly didn't help him. The36-year-old lostthe second set 6-2 after having won the opening set comfortably against his British rival.
Nadal, akin to most top tennis players is famous for his various idiosyncrasies and rituals before a tennis match.
His trademark style of adjusting the shorts, touching the left and right shoulder, tucking the hair behind the ears and tweaking the nose and lastly touching the cheek prior to serving is a sight that most tennis lovers have grown accustomed to seeing over the years.
Nadal is the defending champion and looking to extend his lead at the top with Novak Djokovic behind him standing on 21 Grand Slams.
(With inputs from agencies)
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