- Monday, March 10, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
Ever since Nokak Djokovic withdrew from US Open 2022 over his no-vaccination stance, his fans seem to have taken over things wholeheartedly. While they have been found slamming anybody criticising the Serbian star and protesting over his absence at the Grand Slam tournament, now they have targeted Rafael Nadal, one of the triumvirate in modern-day tennis other than Djokovic and Roger Federer, after the Spaniard lost in the fourth round of the tournament on Monday (5).
Nadal, who is in the hunt for his 23rd Grand Slam title, lost to the US’s Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6 after struggling to move around on the court the way he does generally. Playing in his first day-time game at Flushing Meadows in this year’s edition, the 36-year-old had nine double faults in the game, compared to only four from his opponent in the game that lasted three hours and 34 minutes.
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Nadal, who won the Australian Open and French Open this year, was favourite to pick his fifth US Open and the 23rd overall major after Djokovic pulled out and once he lost, the Serbian’s frustrated fans did not waste a moment to pounce on him and even slammed him for leaving his pregnant wife alone to play in the tournament. He was also accused of “fully vulturing’ the US Open.
“Wow, just wow. This twat claims to have more important things than tennis now he’s lost but before losing, he was fully invested in vulturing this ‘Grand Slam’ despite claiming to not care about the Grand Slam race and also happy to leave his wife in complicated labour behind,” a fan tweeted.
Wow, just wow.
This twat claims to have more important things than tennis now he’s lost but before losing he was fully invested in vulturing this ‘Grand Slam’ despite claiming to not care about the Grand Slam race and also happy to leave his wife in complicated labour behind. https://t.co/nxA5BiGUVB
— Jason (@Certinfy) September 5, 2022
“Classic Nadal. Never takes credit for his loss. He’s such a terrible role model. He deserved to lose that match today and if Novak was playing he would be absolutely DOMINATING this field. Oh well at least nadaL has another excuse,” another user posted.
Classic nadaL. Never takes credit for his loss. He’s such a terrible role model. He deserved to lose that match today and if Novak was playing he would be absolutely DOMINATING this field. Oh well at least nadaL has another excuse!!!!
— Dustin Quaff (@DustyQuaffUSMC) September 5, 2022
Another slammed Nadal saying he never mentioned his concern for his pregnant wife in hospital for a week.
Haha after his pregnant wife has been hospitalized for a whole week. Never mentioned his concern for them but now claimed they are important. What a family man.
— December_dust (@decemberdust1) September 5, 2022
I’m feeling sick reading what Rafael Nadal just said.
Taking all my bias against him aside, how can someone who doesn’t need to work travel half way across the world with the situation his wife was in?
Then claim that very situation is “more important” after losing.
Unreal.
— Jason (@Certinfy) September 5, 2022
Another user showed statistics to say that Nadal had only one crown more than Djokovic despite the latter not being able to play in two Grand Slam tournaments in 2022.
At the end of 2021 Grand Slam race;
Nadal 20
Federer 20
Djokovic 20End of 2022
Nadal 22
Djokovic 21
Federer 20Djokovic banned from playing 2 hard court slams , Rafa plays all 4 slams. This is a result. Novak just 1 behind and as fresh as a daisy. Bring on 2023.
GAME ON. pic.twitter.com/6xBk9F9aEN
— Pavvy G (@pavyg) September 5, 2022
Thank you Tiafoe for saving tennis from Nadal.
Sincerely,
Djokovic fans everywhere— Danny ? (@DjokovicFan_) September 5, 2022
Poor Nadal. He could not steal a Slam from Djokovic’s absence ???
— Mehmet Kemal (@mekemma) September 5, 2022
So you’re telling me Rafael Nadal tried to vulture a Grand Slam that Novak Djokovic wasn’t able to play half way across the world from his pregnant wife suffering complications and close to giving birth yet ended up losing before the quarters to someone ranked outside the top 25. pic.twitter.com/DfsOw7arsq
— Jason (@Certinfy) September 5, 2022
