Tank top is fine for basketball & volleyball, but you can't look at it in tennis: Adriano Panatta on Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev's choice of outfit

Rafael Nadal (L) used to sport tank tops in his early days.

Sporting a sleeveless green shirt and a pair of white pirate pants, a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal lifted the first of his 22 Grand Slam titles at the French Open in 2005. The Spaniard continued in the same style for a few more years before deciding to drop it, though he made headlines for returning to the tank tops on a few occasions like the Australian Open in 2018 and 2019.

Over the past few years, numerous players have followed Nadal and sported a sleeveless look at least once. At the 2016 Australian Open, homeboy Nick Kyrgios and Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria were seen playing in tank tops.

The latest tennis sensation from Spain, Carlos Alcaraz, has tasted unbelievable success at the age of 19, winning four titles this year and going for a fifth in Hamburg. He has also gone his idol Nadal's way and turned up in sleeveless shirts in multiple events.

However, former tennis player Adriano Panatta of Italy detests this particular style of clothing for tennis. In a recent interview with Sette, an Italian magazine, Panatta opined that while tank tops may work fine in basketball and volleyball, he doesn't like them when it comes to tennis.

“The tank top cannot be looked at. It's fine for basketball, it's fine for volleyball, but you can't look at the tank top in tennis," Panatta said.

Federer: "I miss Rafa Nadal's sleeveless shirts, but I guess we all evolve." 😄 (Via @BritishGQ) https://t.co/Vz6hUQTaWp

However, the tank tops are not always worn as a fashion statement; wearing them has its own benefits too.

When John McEnroe asked Rafael Nadal the reason for going back to sleeveless shirts at the 2019 Australian Open, the Spaniard stated that the hot and humid weather conditions in Australia made it difficult for him to hit his trademark forehand.

“I have small issues when I’m playing in very hot conditions when I hit my forehand, so I like to play without the sleeves. It makes me feel younger again," Nadal had said.

Rafael Nadal starts training for the US Open Series

Rafael Nadal is 19-0 at this year's Grand Slam tournaments. While the Spaniard won his second Australian Open in January and 14th French Open in June, an unfortunate abdominal injury forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon a day before his scheduled semifinal clash against Nick Kyrgios.

On the men's circuit, he is currently at the top of the Grand Slam list with 22 Majors, one more than Novak Djokovic.

After taking some time off the court, Nadal has already started practicing again as he is set to play three events in the US, provided his body holds up. The 36-year-old will first participate in the National Bank Open or the Canadian Masters, a tournament that he has won five times. Next will be the Western & Southern Open or the Cincinnati Masters, where he has had success only once.

Rafa Nadal is back on the practice court! 💪

(🎥 @PascaleMazel)

https://t.co/8voSoFUfVf

Finally, the Mallorcan will turn his attention to the last Grand Slam of the year — the US Open. Nadal has won the tournament four times in his career. If he goes all the way and wins it this time, he will further extend his Grand Slam lead to 23 Majors.