"This type of attitude must be stopped because there are children looking at us" - Rafael Nadal on Alexander Zverev's violent outburst in Acapulco
Reigning Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal produced another fine performance in Acapulco on Wednesday, beating lucky loser Stefan Kozlov 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 event.
In his press conference after the match, Nadal was asked to give his thoughts on Alexander Zverev's violent outburst that resulted in the German's disqualification from the tournament. Zverev verbally abused the chair umpire and repeatedly smashed his racket on the umpire's chair after losing his doubles match. The German has since apologized for his actions.
Nadal, for his part, felt the incident showed tennis in a bad light, as millions of children around the world looked up to top players like Zverev.
"This type of attitude must be stopped because there are many children looking at us. Sport must maintain positive values and we have to be aware that we are role models for millions of children," Nadal said.
Nadal was, however, quick to show sympathy for the German, saying that by apologizing to his fans and the chair umpire, Zverev proved that he had realized his mistake.
"I can only say that it is an unfortunate act and that I feel sorry for him because I have a good relationship. He deserves this sanction, you cannot act like this. He is aware of it and it will serve as a learning experience for him," he added. "I think his statement is positive because he apologizes and understands that this should help him so that something similar does not happen again."
Alexander Zverev hat sich auf Instagram zu den Vorfällen heute Morgen geäußert. https://t.co/YjZWsuC4pZ
When asked whether Zverev deserved any serious sanctions for his outburst, Nadal was quite straightforward in his response. The Spaniard reiterated that he felt sympathy for Zverev, but maintained that hurling expletives at the umpire was unacceptable.
"What is not permissible is incurring excessive disrespect towards the referees; that is something else and the ATP does well to maintain a position of strength to avoid it," the 35-year-old said. "From there, I think that Sascha has been an isolated incident for which we must forgive him, everyone can make mistakes.
"It is clear that depending on the decisions that are made we will be able to curb this type of behavior more strongly, which seems to be a bit fashionable lately, but I hope that the sanction is not very severe and we can see him on the track soon," he added.
"I have never been one to look at numbers and statistics" - Rafael Nadal
The 21-time Major winner is currently on a 12-match winning streak and already has two titles to his name this season. When asked to elaborate on the key factors that have contributed to his best-ever start to a season, the Spaniard played down the statistic and said his focus was only on improving his game. He also insisted that enjoying his time on the court was what mattered the most to him.
"I have never been one to look at numbers and statistics, but rather I focus on being able to compete and play well. If that happens, the records will fall on their own, but if I don't, it seems impossible," he said. "The most important thing for me is that I am being able to enjoy what I like the most, my body is responding when it comes to competing and the only thing I want is to continue being prepared for it."
Nadal will face Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals in Acapulco. The Spaniard is bidding for a fourth title in the Mexican, but will likely have to beat Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas in back-to-back matches to achieve the feat.