Denis Shapovalov has claimed that Rafael Nadal is given an unfair advantage by umpires in terms of the time he is allowed between points and the break he took after the fourth set, following his tense defeat to the Spaniard in the Australian Open quarter-finals.
‘It’s like, where is the line? I respect everything that Rafa has done and I think he’s an unbelievable player. But there’s got to be some boundaries,’ the Canadian said in his post-match press conference. Asked if he feels Nadal receives preferential treatment, Shapovalov said: ‘Of course. One hundred per cent he does.’
Nadal, who won the match in five sets to reach the semi-finals, refuted Shapovalov’s accusations.