Rafael Nadalis calling for harsher punishments for tennis players who abuse officials amid gameplay following an outburst from fellow proAlexander Zverevlast month.
Speaking with the press from the Indian Wells Masters tournament in California on Thursday, Nadal, 35, said that although he considers Zverev, 24, a friend, he has mixed feelings about the situation, during which the German tennis playerlashed out at the umpireafter losing a doubles match. Zverev subsequently received a suspended ban for his behavior.
“It’s so difficult to talk in my position … because I have a good relationship with [Zverev], I like him and I practice with him very often,” Nadal said. “And so I wish him all the very best and he knows that he was wrong, honestly, and he recognized that very early. So that’s a positive thing in his side, in my opinion.”
“On the other hand,” he continued, “Of course … if we’re not able to control and create a rule or a way to penalize this type of attitude a little bit in a stronger way, then we as players, we feel stronger and stronger all the time. And in my opinion, like in sport, we need to be a positive example, especially for the kids, there have been millions of kids, watching us.”
“So from one side, I don’t want a penalization for [Zverev] because I like him and I have [a] very good relationship with him,” Nadal added. “[On] the other hand, like a fan of this sport, I’d like to see something harder for this kind of attitude, not only him, I mean in general terms because in some ways this protects the sport and protects the referees.”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Zverev was expelled from the Mexican Open after an angry outburst in Acapulco, Mexico, on Feb. 22. The incident happened after Marcelo Melo and Zverev lost to Great Britain’s Harri Heliovaara and Lloyd Glasspool 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 in men’s doubles at the tournament, according tothe Associated Press.
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
After hitting the umpire’s chair three consecutive times, Zverev sat back down briefly and then got up again, the AP reported. Once he got up for the second time Zverev started shouting at the umpire and said, “You f—ing destroyed the whole f—ing match. The whole f—ing match, you destroyed.”
Shortly after, it was announced that Zverev — who was also meant to compete in the round of 16 in the men’s singles tournament — had been removed from Mexican Open play. He was also fined $40,000.
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
An ATP review later found Zverev guilty, and said he will be banned for a period of time should he behave in a similar way at a tournament over the next year,Yahoo! Sportsreported.
“It still is embarrassing for me now. Walking around the locker room, it’s not a nice feeling,” Zverev said, theBBCreported. “But we all do mistakes. I’m also a human being, and I can guarantee you I will never act this way again in my life. It was definitely the worst moment of my life.”
Zverev reportedly added that he’s been working on himself and meditating: “I think there are stressful situations in everyone’s life where stuff like this happens. I’m not the first, I won’t be the last for something bad to happen on the court.”
He said, “I am somebody that gives it his all on the court. … I would have never physically harmed anyone. If I do that again, they have every right to ban me — it’s as simple as that. If I do that again, it means I haven’t learned. I think everybody in life deserves a second chance but if you repeatedly do mistakes it means that you haven’t learned.”
RELATED VIDEO: Venus andSerena WilliamsGive Simone Biles Advice on Mental Health: ‘Life Is About Failures’
Tennis legendSerena Williamswas also asked about Zverev’s outburst during aninterview on CNN, where she gave a candid response.
Noting that it comes down to “personality” at the end of the day, Williams, 40, explained, however, “There is absolutely a double standard. I would probably be in jail if I did that — like, literally, no joke.”
source: people.com
