The Australian Open is known for its high-stakes matches and thrilling moments, and the first-round match between Rafael Nadal and Jack Draper did not disappoint.
The British youngster, who is one of the most talented players on the ATP Tour, wanted to shock the seasoned veteran, but instead, it was Nadal who was shocked, but not because of the result of the match or his opponent's play.
During the match, a ball kid accidentally "stole" Nadal's racquet, who then couldn't find it during a changeover. He soon confronted the chair umpire as he needed his racket back.
“It is this one for the stringer not that one. I need the racket back.”
The Spaniard then also approached his opponent to explain the situation, saying that the ball boy took his racket and explained the reason for the delay during the changeover.
Eventually, the moment didn't stop the Spaniard as he remained focused after the incident, despite facing a break point in the very next game. However, he was able to win the match 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, and 6-1, to book the second-round spot at the first Grand Slam of the season.
In the second round of the tournament, the Spanish player will meet Mackenzie McDonald from the United States, who bested fellow compatriot Brandon Nakashima in a five-set battle in the first round, winning 7-6(5), 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-7(10), 6-4.
When it comes to Nadal and his incident during the match, he was obviously asked about it also after the match. He explained the situation, detailing that he usually has control over his racquets, but this time, the ball boy just took the incorrect racket, the one that he wanted to play with.
"Not distracting, just a funny situation. Normally, I have numbers of racquets under control. He just picked the racquet I was ready to play with."
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