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Alexander Zverev expressed frustration at the chair umpire's decision to continue playing the quarterfinal match against Cristian Garin despite rain at the BMW Open in Munich, while Rafael Nadal opened up about his popular routine of fixing his underwear before serving.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena fondly reacted to an 18-year-old video of the Serb's maiden title win at the Dutch Open. Rafael Nadal received a warm reception as he arrived at the stadium for his first practice session at the Madrid Open.
Also, Iga Swiatek expressed readiness to construct an underground garage to house another Porsche as she chases her third Stuttgart title.
On that note, here's a recap of today's top tennis news:
Alexander Zverev blasts chair umpire for allowing play at BMW Open despite rainy conditions
Alexander Zverev lashed out at the chair umpire during his quarterfinal match against Christian Garin at the 2024 BMW Open in Munich.
Zverev expressed discontent with the continuation of the match despite the rainy conditions and brought this to the umpire's attention, urging him to intervene. The 27-year-old even stated that he was willing to give up the next two games and essentially surrender the match if no measures were taken.
“At what point are we gonna do something? At what point? Just tell me. Are we not gonna do anything the entire match? Then I’m done. I’m just gonna tank the next two games and I’m done. This is ridiculous. It’s been literally raining,” Zverev said.
Cristian Garin went on to win the match 6-4, 6-4 and now will face third seed Taylor Fritz in the semifinals.
Rafael Nadal discusses his habit of adjusting his shorts before serving
Rafael Nadal was asked about his well-known habit of adjusting his underwear before serving during a Q&A session with Mexican tennis player Santiago Gonzalez's daughter Camila and son Matias.
Nadal, recently knocked out by Alex de Minaur in the second round at the Barcelona Open, admitted it's a long-standing quirk he's had since he was young and can't quite explain why he still does it.
Camila asked the Spaniard:
"Why do you pull out your panties before you serve?"
"Uf! This is coming from a long time ago. Comes from when I was very very small and it’s something that I’ve never been able to get rid of," Nadal replied.
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena reacts to throwback video of Serb's maiden title win at the Dutch Open
Novak Djokovic's wife Jelena recently stumbled upon an 18-year-old video clip of the World No. 1 winning his maiden title at the 2006 Dutch Open by defeating Nicolas Massu 7-6(5), 6-4 in the final.
Jelena discovered the footage of the Serb's speech shared by an Instagram account and reshared it on her own story.
"Oh wow... babies," Jelena Djokovic wrote.
Rafael Nadal received a warm welcome ahead of first practice session at the Madrid Open
Rafael Nadal received a warm reception as he arrived for practice ahead of the 2024 Madrid Open, which is scheduled to begin on April 24.
The tournament’s official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a picture of Nadal heading towards the stadium for his first practice session.
"Rafa [Rafael Nadal] is home," the post was captioned.
Additionally, a fan-shared video showcased all the LED screens in the tunnel flashing "Welcome Rafa" messages.
Iga Swiatek ready to accommodate another Porsche in garage as she eyes third straight Stuttgart title
Iga Swiatek is on track for a potential third title in Stuttgart. Swiatek is already a two-time champion, having defeated Aryna Sabalenka in both the 2022 and 2023 finals. Her victories came with hefty prize money, along with a Taycan GTS Sport Turismo in 2022 and a Taycan Turbo S in 2023.
In a post-match interview following her Round of 16 victory over Elise Mertens, Swiatek jokingly said she'd make space for a third Porsche, even if it meant building an underground garage.
"I have more cars but yeah there's always space for Porsche. If not, we'll make it, I'll build an underground garage. It's a nice problem to have so I’ll be working hard to just play as well as possible here," she said.
Iga Swiatek defeated Emma Raducanu 7-6(2), 6-3 to advance to the semifinals where she will face fourth seed Elena Rybakina.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
