'Nadal does not give a damn about tennis right now'
Amid growing concerns regarding the coronavirus pandemic, Rafael Nadal only focuses on ways to fight the virus as his uncle Toni Nadal mentioned that the World No.2 'doesn't give a damn about tennis right now'.
Nadal made a satisfactory start to the 2020 season, reaching the ATP Cup finals, semifinals of the Australian Open and winning the title at the Mexican Open. The Spaniard was vowing to return to his best form and continue his winning momentum.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. To his disappointment, the entire clay-court and grass-court season were canceled due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Moreover, the tennis season is in turmoil as the coronavirus continues to rapidly spread around the world. However, Nadal does not care about tennis right now during the public crisis.
Nadal's uncle and ex-coach Toni explained that the current global chaos is a huge problem and tennis is not a priority until the virus subsides. The 19-time Grand Slam champion is also not thinking about tennis at the moment.
"We [Rafael Nadal and I] were talking and he told me he doesn't give a damn about tennis right now," Toni told the Spanish media. "That's logical if you have a little sensitivity."
"I said a few weeks ago that things were going to be totally stopped for a while. How do you want us to play tennis? It's unthinkable.
"It won't be played until there is a very clear security measure.
"If not, how do I go to an event? What if another wave [of infections] comes back in October? How many countries won't make restrictions on movement? How long will lockdown last? I don't know," Toni added.
Toni is also not worried about Nadal's game after the tour resumes following the lengthy layoff. He recalled that when Rafa was a kid, he had a hard time hitting the ball after a layoff of even one week. However, that's no longer the case as the Mallorcan gained experience.
"Because of injury, he could go up to three months without touching the racquet, but when he returned, he was fine in a week, or at most 10 or 15 days," Toni concluded.
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