Rafael Nadal Confirms He Doesn’t Want Carlos Bernardes To Umpire His Matches

Well, as far as trying to cherry pick officials go, he sounds pretty reasonable.

May 26th, 2015 at 12:16 pm

If the umpire was adhering to the rules, the officials should not grant Nadal’s request. That will be disrespectul, an insult and unfair to the umpire who was only implementing the rules. It will also set a very bad precedent. Even if there is no official announcement, if we never see him officiate a Nadal match, that means the officials cave in which proves again how bad and spineless tennis officials are. That’s tennis without balls.

May 26th, 2015 at 12:27 pm

Totally agree with Markus (though I could see Bernardes giving some leeway in the shorts issue, but then again why did it take Rafa so long to realize his shorts were on backwards?)

May 26th, 2015 at 12:36 pm

it just seems to me that if they grant this for rafa, it should then be fair for ALL players to ban umpires from their matches, and that’s going to wreak havoc.

May 26th, 2015 at 12:47 pm

I’m one of Rafa’s fan but I’m also sick to death to endure his time wasting..i mean to see him do his ridicolous routine over and over again while his opponent patiently waiting for him to start the game and when a brave official like bernardes has a gut to stick to the rules and he was banned!The ATP is sucks,just because rafa is top player that doesn’t mean he can get away with everything!

May 26th, 2015 at 12:58 pm

Oh look another troll aka Zozzaou posing to be a Rafa fan. Give it up AndyMira, you’re probably a Murphy fan.

May 26th, 2015 at 1:26 pm

Good way to make sure that the other judges allow Rafa to violate the shot clock rule. Djokovic and Federer should invoke the same privilege. Rafa tries to stay the “nice guy” by his avowal that he likes Bernardes, respects him but I guess he just doesn’t forgive him, he, he! Just imagine the outrage if another player pulled this stunt. What a prima donna!

May 26th, 2015 at 1:27 pm

I think the bottom line is that Bernardes enjoyed seeing Rafa wearing his shorts the wrong way round. Probably had a good laugh and didn’t want his enjoyment cut short.
It’s all about “shorts”. Lol

May 26th, 2015 at 1:35 pm

I get why Nadal would be upset. I feel like Bernardes could have been more understanding in that situation. But quite frankly I don’t care what’s good for their relationship. How can Nadal just request an ump to NOT ump his matches for however long? That’s utter BS. I don’t care if you’re a top player or a bottom feeder, you don’t choose who refs your matches. No one wants Joey Crawford or Tony Brothers reffing their games but them’s the ropes. This is the biggest BS I’ve ever seen when it comes to Nadal and I’ve seen a lot of BS when it comes to Nadal.

May 26th, 2015 at 1:42 pm

It’s not only physically, on the tennis court, that Rafa is losing his grip. His ability to manage public relations seems to be evaporating as well.

How about the ATP compulsorily retiring him on medical grounds?

May 26th, 2015 at 1:47 pm

S, because Rafa does not know how to put on shorts, he gets upset with the official??? If I were the ATP, I would make sure Bernardes officiated all of his matches out of spite!
Seriously though, Nadal is notorious for violating time. Djokovic is also one to push the limits.

May 26th, 2015 at 1:51 pm

Colin. That comment is so unlike you. Wassup, Murphy pressure?

May 26th, 2015 at 1:56 pm

@batlord – but Djokovic seems to have sped up his time between points once the ATP said they were going to enforce it. Not as much of an issue any more where he is concerned.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:07 pm

@RZ–I do agree that Djokovic has sped up his play, and I appreciate it!

May 26th, 2015 at 2:14 pm

This is outright ridiculous. I would’ve never thought that they would allow the player to choose the ump and/or to BAN him from his matches, only for following the rules.

What’s next, the umps being afraid to rule against Rafa in fear of being sanctioned?

Simply outrageous imho.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:15 pm

There are also other implications to consider here, especially in terms of work hours, court assignments, prestigious matches, etc. The more Rafa plays, the fewer opportunities for Bernardes to umpire a match on a show court. This may not be a big deal for the first few rounds of a grand slam where there are a lot of matches going on, but as we know the number of matches dwindle as a tournament goes on. If Rafa makes it to tournament finals, the number of opportunities for Bernardes to umpire a match becomes even smaller as there are not as many alternate matches going on elsewhere. And as one of the top umpires, he could get shifted to a side court for a doubles match rather than chairing a semi or final on a show court. I would think that would give him the right to complain about how t he ATP has treated him for having the gall to enforce the rules.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:16 pm

i don’t think this topic will go away anytime soon. a lot of people are writing and talking about it because of it’s vast implications, not just for the players all requesting who umps their matches and when, but for the umps’ careers themselves, as rz points out.

they must be asking the players about this topic too because novak has some responses in his interview

“I don’t think that’s fair to them. They do their job as
best as they can. Sometimes they do it better or worse.”

“I never thought of requesting a chair umpire not to ever or whatever, for a certain time, be a chair umpire in my matches.”

“There are some chair umpires in some matches that I remember that I wasn’t very happy with how they did their job.”

“Chair umpires are humans, as well. Maybe periods of the year when a chair umpire is more or less confident.”

May 26th, 2015 at 2:35 pm

“This is the biggest BS I’ve ever seen when it comes to Nadal and I’ve seen a lot of BS when it comes to Nadal.”

Rack that quote! Vintage material.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:37 pm

Here’s what was in Jon Wertheim’s mailbag yesterday about this issue:

Thoughts on Nadal having Carlos Bernardes taken off the chair in his matches at the French Open after threatening to do just that when Carlos enforced the time rules on him recently? I’m not liking that it sends the message to the other chair umpires that there will be consequences if they enforce the rules.
—Alison Berkowitz

• Credit Simon Briggs with the reporting here, which I have yet to see challenged. In short, the optics are lousy here. There is a beef between a player and an official, it makes sense to keep them apart as much as possible. But when an official challenges a top player and thereafter sees assignments dry up, there is a problem.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:46 pm

I think you people are losing all sense of perspective here. Rafa did not violate the time between points per se, he merely asked Bernardes if he could straighten his shorts problem. This maneuver would have taken a minute perhaps and Bernades disallowed it and threatened Rafa with a TV if he did so. Just supposing a player accidentally spills a bottle of water on his clothing? Will the umpire insist the player carries on with a dripping shirt or shorts? Bernardes could have just said fix your shorts quickly and resume play but no, he wanted to play hard ball and now has to pay the price. Stupid man IMO. Just trying to prove a point that he is the boss on court.

May 26th, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Just to add f*** Carlos Bernardes. He doesn’t sell the tickets, Rafa does!

May 26th, 2015 at 2:58 pm

This is so bizarre…. so the players get to pick their umpires?

ATP needs to grow a pair. Beyond shameful, no matter how big a star.

What kind of precedent does this set?

May 26th, 2015 at 3:05 pm

If this is true, both Nadal and the tennis officials have lost my respect. Is there a union for tennis umpires? They need to protest this tampering of their job and means of livelihood by a spoiled egotistic player.

May 26th, 2015 at 3:25 pm

Giles, that’s not the point. I agree Bernardes should have been more accommodating. But that doesn’t mean Nadal should be able to request that he never umps his matches. It’s a horrible practice.

May 26th, 2015 at 3:37 pm

according to reports, bernardes said “yes, you can change them but you will receive a time violation.” it seems bernades was trying to enforce the time violation rule. perhaps it’s even because umps were told to crack down on time violations so he’s doing his job? nadal has left the court in the past to change his shorts (once after spilling on himself if i recall)

but like ben said, the problem is that allowing players to pick and choose their umps opens a can of worms, or as rz said elsewhere, it creates a slippery slope.

arguably this means all players should be able to request or refuse certain umpires because they feel disrespected or what-have-you.

May 26th, 2015 at 3:42 pm

I think the problems with Rafa and Bernardes have been building since the incident in the O2 a few years ago. This one though is the straw that broke the camel’s back.

May 26th, 2015 at 4:06 pm

Also I don’t think Rafa appreciated Bernardes laughing at him when the shorts incident happened. I clearly remember that.

May 26th, 2015 at 4:18 pm

Food for thought:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWHAORQ54xo

May 26th, 2015 at 5:07 pm

To be honest, he’s not the only one to argue with the umpires.

May 26th, 2015 at 5:21 pm

Not much difference between this and a top player requesting the day or time of day they want to play really.

May 26th, 2015 at 6:21 pm

^ hugely different. the latter doesn’t affect someone’s job! see RZ at 2:16.

May 26th, 2015 at 6:23 pm

Mat4, mew.

Similar videos exist for Federer and Nole too just posted by fans of other players in an attempt to discredit said player with behaviour that is no different than their favorite. Nothing new.

May 26th, 2015 at 6:27 pm

Jane I don’t think so. Bernardes will simply make up the matches elsewhere and will likely be temporary. I bet this goes on behind closed doors more often than we know.

I’m not necessarily saying it’s right just that the top players use their considered weight when and where they can.

Again nothing really that new our different IMO. Right or wrong is a different matter.

May 26th, 2015 at 6:34 pm

@elina…..Didn’t you mean to say “nothing mew”? LOL

You tube full of tennis tirades by lots of players. I think a link for an article was posted the other day where there have been other players that had issues with certain officials and didn’t want them to call their matches. I can’t remember who they were. Tried to find it but crashed out……Oh well, this too shall pass, Rafa fans……but probably not real soon………:(

May 26th, 2015 at 6:44 pm

This is new, though. We’ve never heard of a player requesting an ump to be taken off his/her matches. The scheduling thing has been going on for a while and it’s completely different.

May 26th, 2015 at 6:45 pm

…and the anti-Fed trolls wonder why he (Federer) wins the sportsmanship award all the time.

He wins because there is no greater tennis purist on the court today than Fed who plays within and by the rules. Remember the one time a year or two ago Fed took a bathroom break after the first set? He confessed he did it because the sun was on his face and he wanted it to go away.

MTOs, time delays, etc. are used tactically by many players, including Nadal, to buy time and change momentum…I am even OK with that, but to have a particular umpire removed? Now, that’s a paradigm shift that is clearly not good for the game.

As Federer has said before, no single player is bigger than the game. Unfortunately, Nadal is sending the wrong message here.

May 26th, 2015 at 7:24 pm

elina, perhaps it goes on behind the scenes? but when novak was asked about it in his presser, he said he hadn’t even *thought* of asking for a different umpire. full comment is here:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CF9CtIAWEAEGAZR.jpg

i think it is different than a scheduling issue. it involves rules and jobs. there are only 9 elite-gold umpires and bernardes is one of them. he could be banned from doing quarters, semis and finals if nadal reaches them.

May 26th, 2015 at 7:44 pm

This has been done by some players before. If it causes Rafa too much uneasiness while playing with Bernardes as the umpire, then why not ask for a change of umpire. To reiterate it’s been done before by some players. As far as Rafa’s action causing Carlos his job, nothing is far from the truth. As elina stated, Carlos will make up the match. All that will be done is that the umpire supervisor will merely assign Carlos to another match. As Okiegal says, “This too will pass.”

May 26th, 2015 at 7:54 pm

The real Rafa is starting to show since he began losing. To ask for an umpire to be banished from his matches because the umpire was enforcing the rules is petty and absurd. What Nadal should do and what tennis officials should tell him, is simply follow the rules. This tells me Nadal intends to continue to break the rules. He wants to keep delaying plays and have some wishy-washy umpire who kowtows to him officiate his matches. I hope all umpires will support Bernardes and all should ask not to umpire any match Nadal is in. What a silly, spoiled, self-centered, cheating fool this Nadal is.

May 26th, 2015 at 8:03 pm

just curious: who and when snowbird?

May 26th, 2015 at 8:22 pm

I thought that Rafa was trying to wear his shorts backwards to errr…make things more efficient. Better picking.

*Touch hand to hair and nose.
*Towel again.
*See what Uncle Toni’s signal is for.
*Hand towel off. Rock back and forth.
*Reach behind, pull zipper down.
*Reach in, and pick a bit.
*Pull zipper up.
*Touch hair.
*Hand to nose, sniff deep, but only once.
*Rock back and forth and grimace..
*Check water bottles on sideline are still properly aligned.
*Serve.
*Serve doesn’t go in, repeat whole process. To do so is very, very important, no?
Not to be mocked by Bernardes is important too, no?

May 26th, 2015 at 8:29 pm

Snowbird, even if another player has done it before (and as Jane asked, who and when?) it does not make it right. This action by Nadal really bugs me to the core because it is very unfair. If somebody is doing his job correctly, what gives somebody the right to do complain and have him punished for it. It is not a simple matter of earning a living. It is besmirching one’s reputation if you are censured for doing your job and doing it properly just because some bigwig celebrity is not happy with it. If we are going to entertain every whim of the elite, what is going to happen to the lowly common people who are simply doing their job the way it should be done. Is Nadal now going to ask for some linesmen to be banned from his games? or some spectators? or towel boys/girls? because they make him uneasy?

May 26th, 2015 at 8:46 pm

I won’t be commenting tennis but I can’t resist this one. This is another of uncle Toni’s master moves. It is not Carlos Bernardes himself, this is a timely message to other umpires, they want to intimidate them, they will think twice before they decide to give Rafa warning, Rafa himself will be more relaxed, nice one team Nadal.

May 26th, 2015 at 8:48 pm

Rafa doesn’t know to wrap a towel around his waist and swap out shorts? Men do it around the world besides their cars every summer. He could have just waited till the end of the set and taken a regular, allowed bathroom break, no?

May 26th, 2015 at 8:51 pm

It is not so simple — just change an umpire. First, Nadal threatened Bernardes in front of the cameras, in his match against Fognini, and said that Bernardes will never umpire his matches any more.

Today he has spoken about the short, but if I remember well, Rafa got a time violation and was penalized by a loss of first serve. He was losing the second set against Fognini and was very nervous.

What does it tell to the other umpires: you can’t enforce rules against Rafa, because he’s going to ask you not to umpire his matches. But, Federer, Djokovic will then ask you to not umpire their matches, if you try to enforce the rules against them, or simply if you make them angry.

Then, there is also the integrity of the ATP. It’s not good when a player becomes bigger than the game itself. Had Rafa asked discreetly to avoid a certain umpire — to avoid conflicts and unpleasant situations, just like it happened in the past, I could be understood. But he has done it openly, showing that the ITF, the ATP, the Council of players, nothing matters. He’s tried it before — we know that he managed to change the blue clay in Madrid, and he tried to introduce a ranking based on two years, something that would allow him to be near the top just based on his clay results, but Federer didn’t allow it. But now he has clearly overreached his possibilities, and he is also quite clearly breaking the rules.

To me, it is also a sign that Rafa feels very protected. He obviously thinks that he can do whatever he wants. One may ask what gives him that impression? Does he really feel that he is bigger than the game? Is he? Did the ATP allow him to break the rules in the past? I think it did. And I think it still does, and not only in the case of Bernardes. The circus wants a new GOAT, a new record maker, and everything is permitted to get there… Rafa owns the Tour, and he knows it.

More than ever, I hope that Novak will beat him in the quarter. Even if he doesn’t win the FO.

May 26th, 2015 at 9:01 pm

By and large, the 3 great champions of the game in the ATP at present, have set a great example on and off court.
This is not one of those moments, though, for Nadal. Do Fed and Nole argue at times? Yep. Can Fed be snippy with the ump and limesmen at times? Yep. Does Nole sometimes make a bid deal out of a molehill? Yes, maybe less than in the past, but he still at times over-acts about a bad call.
But far as I know, both of them strongly believe that independence of officials is good for them and the sport, and everything should be equal in nature in how players are treated. (Except of course Fed thinking he is royalty entitled to his spot in the schedule he prefers, and center court, of course. And now Nole and camp have let it out sometimes they feel slighted and believe there is less Nole-love in the organizers than he deserves if he doesn’t get Federer – like treatment in when and where his matches are scheduled.)

May 26th, 2015 at 9:19 pm

“…the problem is that allowing players to pick and choose their umps opens a can of worms, or as rz said elsewhere, it creates a slippery slope.”

You said it, Jane. I do hope justice is best served on the tennis court if and when Nadal plays Novak.

May 26th, 2015 at 9:27 pm

“Except of course Fed thinking he is royalty entitled to his spot in the schedule he prefers, and center court, of course.”

CF1: Show me one instance where Federer has argued about his play schedule or the court he has been assigned to play on. I have said it a thousand times, but I will say it again…no one is a greater purist on the tennis court today than Federer. He respects the rules and plays within the rules. No wonder he wins the sportsmanship award again and again…an award given by his peers!

May 26th, 2015 at 9:33 pm

Well, I had been of the mind that this was a minor squabble and Rafa was trying to resolve it in a reasonable way. But many of my favourite posters here feel otherwise, and upon reading their posts, I think I was wrong and the majority here are correct. The tour never should have allowed this, and certainly not publicly.

Markus, I hope and believe your comment about the “real Rafa” is incorrect. He’s been down many times, and I think he usually handles himself well. Am I wrong? Its so hard to judge athletes whom we know at such a distance, but we have seen Rafa in the crucible of pressure so many times. Yes, he breaks the rules regarding time, and abuses MTOs. These are really minor, venal sins in the big picture. I have still been impressed with his character as a whole, and I hope that will continue to prove the case, even with this incident added to the mix.

May 26th, 2015 at 10:01 pm

@Jane

I’m trying to find that article about other players getting it in for an umpire. The players were not in this decade, I don’t believe. The link was posted here on TX by a non Rafa fan, of course. The article made mention of two or three others that had umpire issues. This was about the time after the altercation happened…….TX ran a thread about it which in turn brought forth another link on another website…….still searching…..I know I’m not the only one who read it……several comments were made.

May 26th, 2015 at 10:13 pm

Okie:

jane posted herself the link to Simon Briggs article, among others, if I remember well.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rafaelnadal/11622372/French-Open-2015-Rafael-Nadal-makes-a-mockery-of-the-rule-book.html

Briggs’ opinion is quite clear on that matter. The title of the article in question puts is, btw: “Rafael Nadal makes a mockery of the rule book”.

May 26th, 2015 at 10:31 pm

@Jane…….The article is highlighted in blue in the first sentence of this thread…..silly me! It was Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors….only two players then and now three?? Probably more, the article said that it wasn’t out of order for umpires to be restricted to calling some matches if there were problems between player and official. A Simon Briggs wrote it, don’t have a clue how reliable a source he is….but there it is, what I was referring to. True or not, have no idea.

May 26th, 2015 at 10:38 pm

Oops again, mat4…..slow typist here! Lol You are exactly right! I finally found it…..it was right under my nose!! Lol Thanx!

May 26th, 2015 at 10:42 pm

If in fact Jane posted the link, she obviously didn’t read it…..unless she is old like me and had forgotten…..that’s a possibility…. :)

May 26th, 2015 at 10:50 pm

HI guys,FYI, below is part of an article on the Nadal and Bernardes problem. The topic was brought up by reporters at the FO.

Mat4 is correct, jane had posted that link some months ago on the topic and it was thoroughly discussed, so this problem is nothing new.

@Mat4, from what I’ve read in other articles Rafa felt disrespected because Bernardes was laughing at Rafa’s problem with his shorts. I think Carlos could have been more lenient as it’s very uncomfortable for anyone to play tennis with their clothes on backwards. Also, to make matters worse, Carlos issued quite a few time violations to Rafa during the match. IMO, the violations were borderline spiteful. I think Rafa’s decision in response to that situation is a fair one. Why would Rafa want an umpire for his matches with whom there’s bad blood? I know I wouldn’t.

See what ATP spokesman Simon Higson had to say on the matter.

I remember Jeff Tarrango had requested an umpire be removed from his match in Wimbledon, and there were some incidents with Lars Graf also. I can’t remember the dates, but I’m sure it is available on google.

May 26th, 2015 at 11:03 pm

I forgot to paste a part of the article I mentioned, so here it is:

Published May 26, 2015·
Associated Press

PARIS – Rafael Nadal has asked the ATP that chair umpire Carlos Bernardes not be assigned to his matches for the time being because of a dispute between the two at a tournament in February.

After his first-round victory at the French Open on Tuesday, Nadal said he respects Bernardes, but it is “better for both of us if we are not (on a) court at the same time for a while.”

Nadal said he felt Bernardes was “not enough respectful” during a match in Rio de Janeiro, when Nadal put his shorts on improperly and asked if he could go to the locker room to change. Nadal said Bernardes told him he would receive a time warning.

“For me, that’s not fair,” Nadal said.

At Roland Garros, the French tennis federation handles chair umpire assignments. A federation spokesperson said there was no request by Nadal to avoid Bernardes during the French Open, but added that it’s common knowledge the two have a tense relationship so it makes sense not to put them on the same court.

ATP spokesman Simon Higson said the tour wouldn’t comment on any specific decisions related to how it picks chair umpires for matches. Speaking generally about a player asking for a certain umpire to be kept away from his matches, Higson wrote in an email: “Requests such as this are not uncommon, either from the player or the umpire.”

May 26th, 2015 at 11:06 pm

Yes i posted – and read – the article, and Briggs posted another one today. But it does not suggest this is going on behind closed doors all the time. Novak said he hadnt even thought of asking for an umpire to be banished. The examples cited are from the past. The kinds of altercations J-Mac would have with umps were of the intensity that the umps themselves may have asked not to ump his matches, same with Connors. With Nadal, all Bernardes did was say you can change your shorts (again – because he had already done it at the end of the second set) but you will get a time violation. What is the big deal? I dont see it. Bernardes was just enforcing a rule, hardly being disrespectful, imo.

The ATP *have to* suggest this is common now because otherwise it will look like they are being controlled by powerful players. They have a vested interest to downplay this case. But it is an umpire’s very job to enforce rules, and while many of them could be better / more consistent about doing so, this does not strike me as a case wherein the ump deserved to be banned. Granted I dont know the history between these two, but Carlos always struck me as one of the fairer ones on the tour.

May 26th, 2015 at 11:15 pm

snowbird, i posted the link late last week; I believe briggs published it just before the FO started.

as to the part of the other article you cited, i read that one too; i believe it also goes on to say this:

“Asked Tuesday whether he had ever made such a request, Novak Djokovic said he hadn’t — nor did he think it a regular occurrence.”

so there’s the ATP’s official statement and then there’s a player’s response, which seem to contradict.

May 26th, 2015 at 11:21 pm

I’ll repeat it again: what Nadal said the other day IS A LIE. He publicly said that he will asked Bernardes no to umpire his matches in the semi of Rio. It is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOY1scQtjZA

Tarango was heavily penalized for less, I watched the match in the time and I refreshed my memory on YT.

May 26th, 2015 at 11:21 pm

@Snowbird post 11:56…..According to what Higson had to say it does happen…..both ways… I can see why an official wouldn’t won’t to call a McEnroe match for sure!! So I guess what’s good for the goose is good for the gander….

May 26th, 2015 at 11:26 pm

Okiegal, I believe a lot happens at the ATP for sure, and you’re right, “what’s good for the goose ….” Higson would have more knowledge of what transpires behind closed doors. Players’ requests, especially from a top player such as Rafa, is something that would definitely go on behind closed doors or by way of sensitive communication via email.

I think Rafa just seeing Bernardes in the chair would make him uncomfortable and lose his concentration while he is playing, especially at the FO which is stressful in and of itself.

jane: Djokovic was speaking only about himself. I think the ATP was speaking in general regarding all of its players.

May 26th, 2015 at 11:46 pm

@Snowbird…..I would imagine there’s a lot of things going on behind closed doors……rigging the draws, maybe?? Lol Some think this happens….I for one do not understand how??

I’m sure the powers that be would definitely keep Rafa and Bernardes separated. I’ll bet Bernardes would want that as much as Rafa…..

May 27th, 2015 at 12:07 am

It is an open secret that the top players enjoy considerable leverage and can extract concessions at will from the ATP organizers.

It would not be nice for the future of the Sport in general and restoring its integrity, if players tend to dictate who should officiate their matches. Especially, I cannot find fault with Bernardes for warning Rafa on the time limit that he has to adhere to between points. There are rules in the game which applies to all the players and they are bound by it. Some of the Umpires take such rules lightly when the top players are involved and be blind to many of their transgressions on the court. That is unfair to their competitor. It is very few like Bernardes who have the wherewithal and courage to call spade a spade and it is unfortunate that they face the music after only commiting the sin of enforcing rules on court. If this is the situation where even officiating umpires are influenced by the desire of top players, how will any umpire muster the courage to penalize them when they go wrong on court ? This is a wrong precedent and has to be set right for restoring the sanctity of the sport.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:29 am

This thing with Bernandes is a bunch of crock. Nadals disdain for umps is well documented. Bringing up Mac’s behavior to justify this type of behavior is laughable. Just play by the rules and don’t whine, man up;
http://youtu.be/HWHAORQ54xo

May 27th, 2015 at 1:39 am

this is really awful news.
Absolutely so so wrong.
Nadal earned a time violation, got one. – its all fair. The umpire was just doing his job.

Who’s the next victim – Hawk eye ?

May 27th, 2015 at 1:42 am

I don’t agree with Rafa using his undoubted clout to try to get an ump banned from his matches, but surely the fault lies with the umps themselves? All the time, across tournaments, across matches, you see some umps turning a blind eye, some enforce this, others don’t.
There seems little consistency to me.
Another problem of course is that interest in tennis as a spectator sport is waning and who wants to kill the golden geese?

May 27th, 2015 at 1:57 am

it is good for the goose but not good for the gander.
Because simply there is another gander at the othersite of the net.

if a player can influence circumstances matches are played. How can That be fair play?
I also dont like that top players get scheduled according to their wishes.
players tend to look for advantage by making such requests. How can youinfluence choice of referee? Imagine if that was the same in soccer? oil/gaz money would get the last say in selecting ref.
OK maybe that is already the case , but it shouldnt

May 27th, 2015 at 2:45 am

An article from John Mac. is timely. …….

May 27th, 2015 at 3:21 am

“Granted I don’t know the history between these two …..”.
That’s right, you don’t know the history between these two so why on earth are you talking so much when you are ignorant of the facts? You have been far too vocal on a matter you are unfamiliar with (in your own words). Why are you getting so excited anyway??
BTW I don’t think joker was right in committing himself to the question asked of him. He could have just said the question was too hypothetical for him to give a definitive answer, no?
Sh!te stirrer!!

May 27th, 2015 at 3:41 am

Just curious. Is it a request or order from Rafa. I believe it’s a request. It could easily be turned down by the officials. What the heck the problem is.

I’m not sure if there was any off court incident between Rafa and the umpire for him to ask for an exception. But still the officials would be the ones to take the call. Why blame Rafa.

May 27th, 2015 at 5:46 am

I’ll just quote Tignor, a known Rafan.

“For today, Nadal made more news when he confirmed a report in the Daily Telegraph that he had successfully requested that veteran chair umpire Carlos Bernardes not work his matches. Rafa said that the two of them needed a “break,” after Bernardes wasn’t “respectful” enough during a match of his in Brazil earlier this year. In the semifinals there, Nadal had put his shorts on backward and wanted to turn them around, but was told by Bernardes that he would receive a time violation if he did.

Rafa said of Bernardes in March, “He has been putting more pressure on me than other umpires.” In his defense, he cited the fact that some of his fellow players aren’t punished for “doing bad words, breaking racquets, doing shows on the court.” When Nadal sees that, he says he doesn’t understand why he’s gets nailed for being “five seconds, six seconds late.”

This isn’t unprecedented, as the Telegraph noted. Players and officials have been kept away from each other in the past, sometimes for years. Maybe Bernardes should have relented in the case of the backwards shorts—that was a unique situation. And maybe, as Nadal said, the ATP needs to look at how rigidly and consistently it wants to officiate all aspects of the players’ behavior. But it’s safe to say that over the years Nadal has been given a good deal of slack, from Bernardes and every other umpire, for his pace of play. And no player, including Rafa, should be able to choose who umpires him, simply because that umpire is enforcing a rule too strictly for his liking.”

May 27th, 2015 at 7:10 am

Rafa, showed what a spoiled, whinny little boy he is by putting the request. He made it worse by telling the public about it which showed his poor judgement, immaturity and sense of entitlement. He could have kept quiet but chose to brag over his victory over Bernardes in this matter. As Wog Boy said, this is may also be a form if intinidation to other umpires to lay off Nadal’s rule violations.

Grow up, Rafa. Learn to put on your shorts properly.

May 27th, 2015 at 7:24 am

Look, we all know the umpires are inconsistent. This has been the case since tennis started. Whether it’s the time between serves or cursing or putting on a “show” as Rafa puts it, or whatever it is. Umps are inconsistent. Some are more strict than others. Some are more understanding. And I really do think Bernardes should have been a little more lenient in this shorts case. At the same time, Nadal is known for pushing the time limit on a regular basis. 5 or 6 seconds? That’s an additional 20% of the time already allowed. That’s unacceptable. And Nadal doesn’t get it. He gets upset when an ump has the audacity to call him on it. And he requests that the ump no longer oversee his matches. This is such a sham it’s almost hilarious. I actually can’t believe how lame the ATP is.

Higson says this isn’t uncommon. But what are the reasons for a player or umpire asking to not be cross paths anymore? Some umpires might feel unsafe around certain players (looking at you Fognini and Janowicz) and maybe some players have an actual issue with umps. But here Nadal doesn’t like that the ump enforced a valid rule. And all of the sudden he needs a break from him even though he super respects him and has no issues with him outside of him ENFORCING THE RULES.

This is a joke. You can be a blind Nadal fan and defend him but this whole situation is a joke. I’m not even gonna blame Nadal for all of this because the ATP is a joke for allowing this to even happen. But Nadal is quite the role model as usual.

May 27th, 2015 at 8:33 am

Using Tarango as a precedent to justify Rafa’s behaviour is a bad idea, and obviously only brought up by someone searching google and not actually remembering it.

Tarango was an idiot, and he became a joke of the tour for his fight with the umpire. At least Rafa didn’t bring his girlfriend into it!

May 27th, 2015 at 9:18 am

Ben. The main issue with Bernardes is he chooses critical points in a match to give a TV, eg, break points on games, sets and MP when he has every opportunity to give the TV at any other stage in a match. He has an issue with Rafa a d only he knows why. It’s best they stay away from each other for a while.
BTW does anyone know if Cedric Mourier has umpired any of Fed’s matches since the “cry baby” incident at the O2? Maybe Mourier has been banned from umpiring Fed’s matches as well!!

May 27th, 2015 at 9:26 am

You guys! Skeezer’s right yet again!

It would seem that the whole men’s tour should “man up”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-pjB2i9azg

(mew)

May 27th, 2015 at 9:31 am

^but does Fed go and request NOT to have a certain ump? NOT.
(Ruffff!)

May 27th, 2015 at 9:40 am

“The Association of Tennis Professionals confirmed on Tuesday that the situation was far from unique, as supervisors at each event take into account requests from both players and umpires when they draw up the officials’ schedules.”

So as I said before, nothing unique to just Nadal. Just another mountain out of a molehill whether that molehill be players requesting a day to play, time of day, preferred court, no brown M&Ms, umpires requesting to take a break from a player or vice versa.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/tennis/rafaelnadal/11631798/French-Open-2015-Rafael-Nadal-admits-demanding-ban-on-umpire-Carlos-Bernardes-following-Rio-Open-dispute.html

May 27th, 2015 at 9:52 am

elina,
You’re just digging a deeper hole blinded by your infactuation with Nadal. Cherry picking a short paragrapgh over an entire article that flat out critizes Nadal for “requesting” to not have a certain official is low at best. Give it up.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:00 am

skeezer, yes I am a fan of Nadal’s game amongst many including Federer and Djokovic but none of them are my favourite.

Why would I cut and paste the whole article? I just provided my reference to the ATP’s statement that this sort of thing happens all of the time.

My point is that fans will defend their own and criticize their greatest opponents whilst the media will look for a story where there is none.

You cherry picked Nadal’s umpire clips so maybe we should both give it up? :)

mew?

May 27th, 2015 at 10:05 am

I would like to hear that from the players and not in a vague statement from the ATP which might be getting some flack about this incident or might at the least be doing a lot of answering to the press. there are still no specifics.

I can see it coming from the umps themselves especially because they take abuse at times. But from the players, it would seem to have to be for more than just enforcing the time violation rule, which is the ump’s job!

May 27th, 2015 at 10:05 am

tignor puts it well: “…no player, including Rafa, should be able to choose who umpires him, simply because that umpire is enforcing a rule too strictly for his liking.”

May 27th, 2015 at 10:12 am

I was about to thank Elina when I decided to read the full article. Skeezer ^^ is right. Some Nadal diehards blinded by their adulation of their idol will continue to defend him echewing fairness and logic in the process but I have followed this discussion here, on Twitter, other blogs, etc., etc., and the overwhelming concensus is that this was a bad and unprofessional act by Nadal, that somebody of his stature should be a model of fairness and not try to influence matches by eliminating umpires who implement a rule that he habitually breaks.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:14 am

elina,
Just to be clear, Nadal doesn’t want a particular ump officiating his match. Not Novak, not Fed, not Murray, etc. The vid posted included his run ins with Bernandes, the ump Rafa doesn’t want any loving from. Rafa just has a hard time taking it in the shorts.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:15 am

jane, in an ideal world, I completely agree with you but the top players that drive revenues do as the ATP has clearly stated and the media will make a big deal about it if it generates readers and in turn revenue whilst fans banter back and forth (see above).

May 27th, 2015 at 10:19 am

Just found from twitter that Wawrinka has said he did a similar request. So… Rafa isn’t the only one, proved.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:21 am

Sirius, link please? I believe Wawrinka once asked for a line judge to be changed and it was refused.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:26 am

markus, yeah, from what i’ve read, that does seem to be the consensus: basically what tignor said.

sirius, thanks. i am glad that reporters are asking the players. what stan said is something to this effect (hopefully we’ll get the full statement later and won’t have to rely on twitter snippets):

“the request should be accepted if the umpire has done something more and it shouldnt if the player just dislikes them”

“”The request should be accepted if the umpire did something wrong. I did the same request a few years ago”

but then stan also said this about the time violation rule:

“”For me, they must be more strict about 25 seconds and the referees do not with all the players, because they know that if they have problems with one of the best players and are banned, it is difficult for them, because they like to be in the finals and semifinals, and if they have problems with the best is difficult to be in those rounds. So that’s the problem we have on the tour rules regarding that.””

this confirms what RZ said yesterday about umpires not wanting to be banned from umping later rounds.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:31 am

Asking if it is possible to not have a certain umpire officiate is not uncommon.
Every player has the right to ask this, & if there is an obviously tense relationship between the player & unpire they won’t be put together.
Likewise an Umpire can request not officiating for certain player (although it could be seen as being awkward at doing their job).
Most likely though the tournament organisers would know about previous issues between umpires & players are organise the tournament so that it goes smoothly & that they don’t meet.
The ATP don’t want a player claiming the umpire is prejudiced against them or to see that an umpire could be seen to be unfair to a player.
It’s in the Tournament & the ATP’s interest to make players feel comfortable in a tournament as they want the players to enjoy the tournament & come back to play again.
I don’t see the problem with this.

May 27th, 2015 at 10:32 am

Even though Jane has quoted Stan, here’s the link for you TV

https://mobile.twitter.com/ChiaraGamTWI/status/603556253944655872?p=v

May 27th, 2015 at 10:49 am

Fed may well have requested that Cedric Mourier be banned from umpiring his matches. It may be that the journos Havnt got the balls to publicise this seeing as it is fed. I have a feeling that Cedric has been banned. After the O2 incident Cedric made statements to the press about the incident and Mirka was involved to which fed took umbridge. So go investigate!!

May 27th, 2015 at 11:08 am

The ATP is a joke for allowing this at all. You would never see something like this in the NBA or NFL and they have tons of crappy referees.

May 27th, 2015 at 11:13 am

The NFL has its own problems regarding the leagues’ blind eye and slap-on-the-wrist treatment of high profile players off field felonies so in many ways they are worse!

May 27th, 2015 at 11:17 am

Sigh, deflect deflect deflect.

May 27th, 2015 at 11:21 am

That quote from Stan is really more damaging to Rafa’s case than helpful. He is hinting very strongly that umpires are afraid to call Rafa on time violations or they will lose the prestige matches!

May 27th, 2015 at 11:28 am

There is nothing here that’s being said that justifies the ATP and/or ITF not standing up to Nadal.

Should Bernardes have given Nadal more time to change shorts – I think why not? But that incident does not allow the Humble Nadal to decide who umpires his matches.

He can speak, rant all he wants. But the ATP/ITF should not cave into immature star tantrums.

May 27th, 2015 at 11:33 am

Stan has been labelled a “cry baby” by Mirka and that is exactly what he is. Pffffft

May 27th, 2015 at 11:35 am

Well, all I can say is that this thread is one for the “haters” to feast on. Lol
Rafa wins!! Bernardes won’t be umpiring his matches in the near future so suck it up all of you haters. Geeeez!

May 27th, 2015 at 11:38 am

@Margot 1:57 post…..I concur…..the ATP is probably very concerned about the geese who lays the golden eggs. No consistency with ALL of the umpires. I know Rafa is at fault with the time rule, but he has played slow and methodical his entire career and now its an issue coz of Aussie Open match with Novak, who isn’t a real speedy Gonzales himself….but the thread is about not wanting a certain umpire calling his matches. With what I have been reading here it is not uncommon for players to make a request such as this. If this is allowed maybe we should shame the ATP organizers and not the players.

I think the short incident was what did it. Some non Rafa fans on this forum even thought that was a little “picky” (no pun intended) for the umpire not to allow it. The “shows” Rafa is talking about are time consuming too. Margot is right, NO CONSISTENCY!!!

Before someone brings it to my attention, I am aware that Rafa has been in the center of the “show” himself with questionable calls….our friend, YOU TUBE, keeps us attuned to improper behavior on court….just saying! LOL

May 27th, 2015 at 11:41 am

Humble Rafa turning into Petty Rafa?

May 27th, 2015 at 11:57 am

Obviously, they’ve caved before…..probably more times than we could ever imagine. Rafa made it known at a match his feelings and at a presser and Boom Baby the perfect storm…..an entire thread opened for discussion on the matter…Rafa has done it again!! lol

May 27th, 2015 at 11:57 am

Leo. Aren’t you reading? It has been decided! Lol

May 27th, 2015 at 12:07 pm

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/05/rafael-nadal-carlos-bernardes-not-work-matches-shorts-video-venus-williams-fine

May 27th, 2015 at 12:09 pm

“That quote from Stan is really more damaging to Rafa’s case than helpful. He is hinting very strongly that umpires are afraid to call Rafa on time violations or they will lose the prestige matches!”

hinting “very strongly” indeed. i agree.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Exactly, the difference being is that Nadal is open about it and does not try to hide.

The media is always saying that they are surprised how candid he is about everything.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:21 pm

wow skeezer that’s a damning article of the ATP

“This is a pathetic display from a sport with non-existent rules enforcement. Since the governing bodies (the ATP and WTA, respectively) are basically impotent and operate at the whims of tournaments, you can see things like Nadal making the absurd request to ban a highly respected umpire from his matches and actually getting his wish.”

considering what’s happened with FIFA today maybe we’ll see some kind of intervention or change?

May 27th, 2015 at 12:22 pm

jane,
yeah that FIFA thing…crazzzy uh? Wow.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:29 pm

Chase’s criticism is directly levelled towards the ATP:

“tennis kowtows to its biggest stars and to no one else. (Imagine a player ranked No. 30 making a similar request. It’d be treated with laughs.)”

Note the plural use of the word “stars” above.

But he is perhaps overlooking that tennis is an entertainment business that by definition favours its stars.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:29 pm

I agree with Okiegal that we should really be focusing on the ATP granting this request rather than Rafa making the request. Players can ask for whatever they want, but the governing bodies need to govern rather than cave. By not doing so, they are sending the message that they don’t support their umpires who are only doing their jobs by enforcing the rules.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:32 pm

Anyone who has witnessed Roddick’s chronic abuse of officials over the years would realize that the ATP sent that message a long time ago.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:36 pm

deflect…deflect…de….
Hey you guys…just FYI….the ATP didn’t offer the Ump change to Rafa. Rafa initiated the demand/request/whatever one wants to call it.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:42 pm

Has ATP issued any official statement about this issue? This is a serious matter that puts the integrity of the organization on the line. They need to make an official statement as regards their decision. Being that that there has been none, I believe they have decided in favor of Nadal and could not issue a statement because there is no reasonable justification for it.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:48 pm

… along with all of the other similar requests from both umpires and players as stated by the ATP and Chris Chase.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:48 pm

jane. Why are you so excited by this topic? Do tell!

May 27th, 2015 at 12:49 pm

Rafa seems to be gloating about his ability to ban any umpire who goes against him and applies the rule on delay of game. Otherwise, he would not have announced it publicly. That is what makes Rafa’s action unconscionable.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:52 pm

If player and umpire are constantly feuding, isn’t it preferable to keep them apart? What’s all this fuss about anyway? Is it because Rafa trumped Bernardes? Of course it is. If this was joker and not Rafa what would your reaction be?
Jane the cheerleader can answer that perhaps!
Come on Jane, step on your soap box please.

May 27th, 2015 at 12:56 pm

@RZ…. Thanks! Fix the problem wherein it lies…

Sheer blackmail…..oh, my…..laughable!

Let’s rag on Stan a little bit! LOL He admitted to making a request also…..even though he got his Rafa digs in on down in the article, but he did admit it. Kudos to him for saying so!

May 27th, 2015 at 1:03 pm

Carlos is one of my favourite umpires too! (Lahyani is my other)

May 27th, 2015 at 1:03 pm

@Sirius 10:21…….Mark this down in your little black book…..there wont be one negative comment berating Stan for doing the same thing Rafa did….

May 27th, 2015 at 1:16 pm

@Giles – it’s fine to keep the player and ump separate when there are a lot of matches going on at a slam. But as I mentioned in an earlier post, the number of matches – and especially high profile matches – dwindle. Why should an ump be left off the roster of later matches because of something like this? This is completely unfair to Bernardes. This affects his work hours and pay. He is being punished for doing his job properly.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:18 pm

No, when his time comes, he can do the other semi. A simple switch.

Laughing at Nadal while he changed his shorts on court after telling him he’d be charged a violation if he went off court to do it wasn’t exactly “doing his job properly” in my opinion.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:26 pm

I will bet that Bernardes doesn’t even want to call his matches. I personally have never wanted to be where I wasn’t wanted…..outside of TX, of course! :) Bernardes probably wouldn’t either. After the fiasco at the Foggi match, I would have dismissed myself from any future Rafa match had I been him. What if he really doesn’t like Rafa, should he be in the chair?? Couldn’t he be biased?? Oh well, it is what it is. I think it has been established on this forum that Rafa is not the only one who has made a request of this nature before…..Okie has spokie!! :)

May 27th, 2015 at 1:30 pm

TV. You have your favourite umpires and at the same time the umpires have their favourite players.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:31 pm

@Elina – but what if Bernardes was in line to chair the final, and Rafa plays in the final?

May 27th, 2015 at 1:34 pm

Okiegal,

stan is not rafa, novak or roger. Not everyone will bother about what he says. I believe the reaction would be pretty much same had it been novak or fed instead of rafa :)

May 27th, 2015 at 1:36 pm

RZ. He threatened Rafa with a TV if he changed his shorts. You think that’s fair? Rafa should have just asked for a bathroom break but obviously he didn’t expect Bernardes to react the way he did. And what do you think about Bernardes’ laughter on court? Do you think that was respectful? Rafa is not a lower ranked player, he deserves respect especially from the likes of an umpire.
Let me ask you, who generates the $$$$$$$? Umpires or players? They should know their place and respect the players.IMO of course.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:43 pm

@Giles – yes it’s fair. Rafa had the option of waiting until the changeover to do it. I do think that Bernardes could have been more lenient here, but you asked about fairness, and enforcing the time violation rule is always fair. As for the laughter, yes it’s disrespectful. But not a reason to kick Bernardes off of Rafa’s matches. And it doesn’t matter who generates the money. There wouldn’t be matches or money without the umps as they are an important part of the game and the structure. Umps should respect the players, but the players should respect the rules and the umps.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:51 pm

@Sirius 1:36…….Exactly my point!!

May 27th, 2015 at 1:53 pm

“Let me ask you, who generates the $$$$$$$? Umpires or players? They should know their place and respect the players.”

Then why even have umps at all? Why have rules? Let Nadal and the other stars do whatever they want, 30 seconds between points, 5 minutes, who cares?

Who generates the money is irrelevant. The umps are there to uphold the integrity of the game. They’re arguably more important than the players since there’s a pretty small number of quality umps whereas there are thousands of players. Sure Nadal and the likes are special players who are hard to come by, but if they’re not playing there’s someone else.

The ATP should not grant the requests of players asking for someone to stop umpiring their matches just because they enforced the rules. Nadal continuously breaks the time limit rule, whines about it all the time, and now he’s getting umps off his matches for enforcing the rule at all. Despicable.

May 27th, 2015 at 1:56 pm

I agree with Giles @ 1:31…..I’m confident the officials have their favorite players and vice
versa. Likes and dislikes a natural human response.

May 27th, 2015 at 2:08 pm

hahaha…. Never saw that on court mid-play shorts change-a-roo situation before…who could help laughing!

Rafa can’t play with his shorts on backwards! That would mess with his head so bad. He should be able to change his shorts to the right way, absolutely.

But demanding that Bernardes never umpire his match again? ridiculous.

May 27th, 2015 at 2:20 pm

@ Ben – agreed:

“Nadal continuously breaks the time limit rule, whines about it all the time, and now he’s getting umps off his matches for enforcing the rule at all. Despicable.”

He’s proving to not only be whiny, but also petty!

May 27th, 2015 at 2:21 pm

ok I have seen the changing of the short. here is mine point of view to end debate and discussion. I didnot hear time violation probably because it was ordered after the clip ended.
So that means he didnot get issued because of him changing his short but he just took his time to get ready dropping of his towels etc.

especially since he was the resever he should have been ready to reseve when opponent was starting his prep to serve on the line.

it is gamesmanship to let opponent wait unnesceaaairy.

so sometimes you see Fed changing racket after forgetting it. you have to ask permission to change it and then you should show some urgency by running to get back in place.

Nadal did neither and therefor was penelized correct.

May 27th, 2015 at 2:30 pm

No there was no demand made jalep. It was a request, similar to those made by other players and umpires according to the ATP and the player. Even Roger says making such requests is fine.

And RZ, if it is a final, then he simply umps the next final. Not difficult.

Just media looking for a click-bait story and fans defending there own and critical of their biggest opponents as always. Huff and puff. Nothing mew.

May 27th, 2015 at 2:33 pm

@elina……I see you took my advice…
“Nothing mew” :)

May 27th, 2015 at 2:42 pm

If Nole did the same thing, elina: changed his shorts on court because they were on backwards, I’d laugh too. But yeah, the ump should recognize it’s an interference and distraction of the type that warrants a time-out.

But Nole or anyone else requesting (in the case of a top player “requesting”, it could be taken as demand, I’d say) an umpire never be allowed to officiate him again? still, it’s ridiculously pompous and such requests by various players could turn tennis into a supercilious sport. My opinion: it’s over the top.

You have a right to your opinion and I get to disagree is all. Nothing personal about Rafa – the boundary setting – no such requests permitted, should apply to any player.

May 27th, 2015 at 2:53 pm

“if it is a final he simply umps the next one”

what if nadal makes the next final and a few more consecutively? Does the umpire have to miss those too?

May 27th, 2015 at 3:01 pm

Agreed jalep, both of us have our opinions and we are free to disagree. Would be boring otherwise. :)

But these requests are not unique to Nadal nor are they new so such requests have not impacted the sport. Attendance records continue to be broken and prize monies continue to soar year after year thanks to the most popular players such as Nadal and Federer.

Also, as fans, you and I are free to laugh at a situation (I know I did) but an umpire’s professionalism should be held to a higher standard than consumers.

May 27th, 2015 at 3:07 pm

Sirius, that would only occur if it was Novak and he is the fairest of them all so this is not a realistic scenario.

May 27th, 2015 at 3:10 pm

Not impossible also and this cannot be a solution. If one player gets his request granted, it’ll be a start. And there might be several other top players in the future asking for the same thing. What would ATP do then?

May 27th, 2015 at 3:18 pm

Nadal needs a psychiatric evaluation fast. In addition to his OCD, he has now developed paranoia. I wonder if he is autistic also, some kind of a idiot savant with proclivity to tennis?

May 27th, 2015 at 3:25 pm

No not impossible but highly unlikely, but if it occurred, then the ATP could simply say sorry Rafa, we’ve done as much as we could but you are too successful recently having made two consecutive finals so too bad for you but it is Bernardes turn now. Get over it for one match Rafa. You will survive win or lose. Life will go on.

May 27th, 2015 at 3:31 pm

Markus. You were such a nice poster when you made your debut here. Seems you have picked up too many bad habits since. Far too mouthy for a start!

May 27th, 2015 at 3:47 pm

If Rafa “requested” no Carlos at his matches, then whoever manages the umpires at tournaments, is it the ATP, should’ve said, “Sorry Mr Nadal, we make the decisions round here.”
The end.
@Ben
Because there’s “always been inconsistency” does not mean there always should be inconsistency.
And if there are far too many rules for the poor dears to get their heads round, perhaps they should be pruned/simplified?

May 27th, 2015 at 4:16 pm

Lol Margot dear. Rafa requested, Rafa did not demand.
Request granted. Wotz the problem?

May 27th, 2015 at 4:31 pm

giles, seems i don’t have to stand on my soapbox.

simply refer to RZ @1:18, RZ @ 1:51, Ben @1:56, jalep @ 2:53, Sirius @3:01 … etc!!!

i guess i am not alone in my “cheerleading”. lol.

you can try to reduce this to a “joker fan” thing, like you do so much else, but maybe it’s actually a TENNIS fan thing and many of us – fans of different players – feel the same way about this issue. i have read plenty of rafa fans disagreeing with the idea that a player should be able to oust an umpire for enforcing a rule.

see also tignor’s last words on the matter.

May 27th, 2015 at 4:49 pm

Mew theadlines: “Bernardes Goes Bankrupt”…..:)

May 27th, 2015 at 5:06 pm

@Jane…..How are your pom poms holding up?? :)

May 27th, 2015 at 5:09 pm

Giles @3:47:

Now I can say I truly belong here now! :-D

May 27th, 2015 at 7:40 pm

Markus. Must say that was a quick witted response. Lol

May 28th, 2015 at 3:26 am

https://twitter.com/markalannixon/status/603815006032044033
Okie dokie, nuff said!

May 28th, 2015 at 4:56 am

Giles

You’re the biggest troll on here
Posing to be Nadal’s fan while you secretly love Djokovic

Go to Serbia to support your idol Novak

May 28th, 2015 at 6:10 am

The time violation in Feb 2015 was the last straw for Rafa. He’s had issues with Bernandes since 2010. Article writer should have mentioned this. Rafa had 2 issues with him at the 2012 Aussie Open;2013 San Paulo, 2010 ATP final and 2014 Wimbledon. Most of the issues were with calls too.

ATP has previously kept umpires from some players’ matches in the past too.

May 30th, 2015 at 5:19 pm