Tennis Controversies of the Week: Rafael Nadal's "underwhelming" farewell causes furor; Emma Raducanu's "delusional" remarks lead to backlash, and more

The Davis Cup was criticized for organizing an "underwhelming" farewell ceremony for tennis legend Rafael Nadal. In other news, Emma Raducanu received strong reactions for labeling herself a "dangerous player."

Meanwhile, USA Captain Bob Bryan came under fire for benching doubles specialists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram in favor of singles players Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul in a key doubles match during the Davis Cup Finals loss. WTA received flak for omitting Jasmine Paolini from Most Improved Player of the Year nominations.

On that note, here's a recap of the top tennis controversies from last week:

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Rafael Nadal's "underwhelming" farewell at the Davis Cup Finals drew backlash

Rafael Nadal’s retirement ceremony at the Davis Cup Finals sparked debate about not meeting expectations. On November 19, his legendary career ended with a 6-4, 6-4 loss to the Netherlands’ Botic van de Zandschulp.

Despite Carlos Alcaraz’s win over Tallon Griekspoor, the Netherlands secured a semifinal spot with a doubles victory over Spain, marking the end of Nadal’s career and Spain’s campaign.

Surrounded by family, including his parents, wife Maria Francisca Perello, and their baby son, Nadal received an emotional farewell at the Martin Carpena Arena in Malaga. A ceremony featuring a tribute video and a heartfelt speech concluded his illustrious career.

Watch the video here:

While many were touched, some fans felt the Spanish legend deserved a more grand farewell, drawing comparisons to Roger Federer’s 2022 Laver Cup send-off:

"Gotta say that Federer nailed the retirement thing at Laver Cup. This one felt underwhelming. It was perfectly done."

Fans also voiced their discontent with the Tennis Channel's coverage of the Spaniard's retirement. They accused the network of "ruining" the experience, with many labeling the coverage as "disgraceful" due to commentators talking over the 38-year-old's speech.

Watch the video here:

"Wow how beautiful. Unlike your commentators YAPPING over this happening live. Disgraceful," a fan remarked.

"You ruined it all. You owe an apology to millions of people around the world. And you call yourself the tennis channel," said another.

Rafael Nadal's coach, Carlos Moya, also criticized the farewell ceremony at the Davis Cup Finals, calling it "a bit scruffy and shabby." Speaking on Onda Cero’s Radioestadio Noche (as reported by El Espanol), Moya shared his thoughts on the event:

"It's not the time to blame anyone... But the feeling we're all left with is a bit scruffy and shabby... It's true that it's a Tuesday night, but this is sport, and it was known months in advance that if Spain lost, Rafa would retire. Nadal is far above all this."

"I saw Rafa calm, I had assumed that this moment was going to come," he explained. "We knew for months that this was going to happen, but we are assimilating it. It has been a farewell that has not lived up to what Rafa Nadal means to the sport," he added.

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Emma Raducanu sparked debate with bold "dangerous player" claim

Emma Raducanu at the 2024 Australian Open (Image source: Getty)

Emma Raducanu faced strong reactions after boldly describing herself as a "dangerous player" while reflecting on her 2024 season. Despite recurring injuries, she expressed pride in rising to World No. 58 from outside the top 300.

During the Billie Jean King Cup Finals, Raducanu played a crucial role in securing Great Britain's spot in the semifinals, although they eventually lost to Slovakia. In an interview with the WTA in Malaga, Raducanu highlighted her limited schedule yet top-60 ranking, confidently claiming that no opponent wanted to face her in tournaments.

"My assessment is, I think sometimes I need reminding. I'm top 60 in the world and I have played less than 15 events, which is pretty unheard of, in a way. I have to pat myself on the back for that," Emma Raducanu said.

"I know I'm a dangerous player. I know no one wants to pull my name in the draw. I take pride in that, and I'm looking forward to hopefully staying on court longer next year," she added.

However, her remarks didn’t sit well with many tennis fans, who criticized the Brit for making such out-of-touch self-assessments.

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Controversy erupted as USA Captain Bob Bryan chose singles players for a key doubles match during the Davis Cup Finals loss

USA captain Bob Bryan faced backlash for substituting doubles specialists Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram with top singles players Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul in the deciding doubles quarterfinals at the Davis Cup Finals.

In their group tie against Team Australia, Shelton lost to Thanasi Kokkinakis, but Taylor Fritz evened the score by defeating Alex de Minaur. Before the deciding doubles match between Krajicek and Ram versus Matthew Ebden and Jordan Thompson, Bryan made a last-minute decision to replace the doubles specialists with Paul and Shelton.

This unexpected change didn't pay off, as Ebden and Thompson won 6-4, 6-4, securing the tie for Australia.

Bryan's controversial choice drew widespread criticism from tennis experts, including WTA doubles World No. 12 Nicole Melichar-Martinez, who took to X to question why Krajicek and Ram, both former ATP doubles No. 1s, weren’t trusted to secure the win.

"Doubles players are “specialists” for a reason… they’re good at what they do. Why not trust in them?? Especially when you have 2 former #1s…" Nicole Melichar-Martinez tweeted.

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WTA received criticism for leaving out Jasmine Paolini from the Most Improved Player of the Year award nominations

Jasmine Paolini at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup Finals (Image source: Getty)

The WTA faced criticism for omitting Jasmine Paolini from the Most Improved Player nominations, despite her crucial role in Italy's recent Billie Jean King Cup Finals win.

Paolini's breakthrough 2024 season included her first WTA 1000 title in Dubai, runner-up finishes at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and Olympic gold in doubles.

Jasmine Paolini's commendable achievements this year left many surprised by her exclusion.