Rafael Nadal was playing against Jason Kubler at the 2024 Brisbane International when he was hit with a time violation, which he laughed off.
Nadal took a toilet break between sets but took a bit too long, which forced the umpire to give him a time violation. The match was contested in good spirits by both players as there was plenty of laughing and smiles all around.
Kubler certainly loved playing against Nadal even though he lost easily in two sets, but this situation was certainly funny to both players. Generally, there is a time limit on how long players can spend in the toilet or changing room, and Nadal took a bit too much, so the umpire enforced the rule.
Before giving the Spaniard the time violation, umpire Arnaud Gabas explained to Nadal why he was giving him the violation. The Spaniard briefly questioned as to why he was getting a time violation but the umpire wouldn't change his mind.
The funniest bit is how the umpire announced the time violation to the crowd by explaining that Nadal was a little bit late getting back from the toilet, so he was getting a time violation. Just the way he announced it was so funny as both players and the crowd chuckled.
"Ladies and gentleman, Rafael Nadal was a little bit late on his way back from the toilet, then he is received one time violation. Time violation. Warning, Mr. Nadal."
The match continued after that, and while Nadal had to work a bit harder to close out the match, he essentially did so by keeping it in two sets.
No other time violations came, so all went well in the end. If you're wondering what it looked like, well, check out the video below to see how the funny situation unfolded.