"If umpires are not ready to read the match, there is no job anymore for them" - When Rafael Nadal bemoaned time violation at Monte-Carlo Masters
Rafael Nadal once outlined his frustrations regarding the role of umpires in the sport after receiving a time violation at the 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters.
That year, Nadal entered the tournament as the top seed, on the hunt for his ninth title at the tournament. Following a first-round bye, the Spaniard took on Teymuraz Gabashvili in his opening match.
While he claimed a dominant 6-4, 6-1 victory, the match wasn't without its challenges. At 4-0, 30-40 in the second set, Nadal received a time violation from chair umpire Pascal Maria for taking too long between points. The Spaniard was less than pleased with the call, as he wagged his finger at the umpire and argued his case.
Rafael Nadal addressed the time violation in his post-match press conference, stating that while he's typically quick to accept his mistakes, he didn't believe he was wrong in that instance.
"I need to check the video today. Sometimes I am the first one to accept the things. Today I cannot accept this one because was after a very long rally, was breakpoint against. The umpire, that I consider a good umpire like Pascal, was not right," he said.
The Spaniard also questioned the necessity of umpires, as the line calls could be monitored by the Hawk-Eye system and the electronic scoreboard could display the scoreline.
He argued that if the umpires couldn't understand and read the situation of the match correctly, their role would become completely redundant.
"At the end, if you want to make the things that way, the easier thing is put the chrono on court, and we don't need umpires anymore because we have all the lines. We can put the Hawk‑Eye here," he said.
"Why we doing to have the umpires anymore? We can have the electronic, like we have, scoreboard and we can see 15‑30. We don't need nobody that is just saying 15‑30, 30‑All, game Nadal or game Gabashvili. That is my feeling. If the umpires are not any more ready to understand and read a little bit the match, so there is no job anymore for them," he added.
Rafael Nadal: "I need to change, I need to go quicker a lot of times; I am the first one who accept when I am wrong"
During the same press conference, Rafael Nadal conceded that he needed to be quicker between points, reiterating his willingness to accept fault when it was warranted.
"I need to change. I need to go quicker a lot of times. I know that. I am the first one who tries that, the first one who accept when I am wrong, when I am playing bad, when I am not doing the right things, when I am too slow," he said.
However, he reaffirmed that he didn't deserve the time violation and questioned the rationale behind the umpire's call.
"At the same time I think when the things are not right, I never have any problem to say that things are not like this. My feeling today, the way that the match develops, was not the right day to have two warnings for me. No one chance that that happen, no? Is because the umpire really wanted to do," he added.
The Spaniard eventually exited the 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters in the quarterfinals, suffering a 7-6(1), 6-4 loss to David Ferrer.