Moyá: “If Nadal has a request, they should listen to it”

Neither Rafa Nadal nor Carlos Alcaraz wanted to play their quarterfinal matches in the night session at Roland Garros. Both stated it at a press conference after beating Félix Auger-Aliassime and Karen Khachanov, respectively. Finally, it will be the Balearic who does it. In addition, against Novak Djokovic, a match that had not been seen since the semifinals of the last edition of the Parisian tournament.

The decision has not gone unnoticed. Carlos Moyá, Nadal’s coach, has raised his voice. “I would not say that it is disrespectful. Here, at Roland Garros, Rafa has a credit, he has won the tournament thirteen times and if you have a request they should listen to it“, the former tennis player told the French radio RMC Sport. “It is part of the history of Roland Garros, we know that nobody is bigger than the Grand Slam tournamentsbut in the end it is a matter of business and we understand it”, he concluded.

“This could be my last match at Roland Garros, so I would like to play it during the day,” Nadal dropped after overcoming his tough round of 16 duel. “I know the tournament during the day, not so much at night, because it has been how I have played it all my life,” he added. Finally, the Balearic Islands will reissue last year’s semifinals and the 2020 final on the night shift of the Chatrier.