Tennis
WATCH: Rafael Nadal politely points out journalist's factual mistake
Rafael Nadal fact-checks journalist amusingly after being told that he hasn't made it beyond the semi-finals of the Australian Open since his win in 2009.
Rafael Nadal at a press conference in Australia (Source: Getty)
20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal made a rousing comeback to tennis after being away for nearly four months as he began his 2022 season on the right note by picking up the ATP 250 Melbourne Summer Set 1 trophy by defeating Maxime Cressy, 7-6, 6-3 in the finals. Gearing up for the year's first Grand Slam - the Australian Open, the 35-year-old is slowly getting back to his winning ways and enjoying the spring in his step from playing Down Under.
At the press conference after the win, however, Rafael Nadal, a former World No. 1 and one of the lead competitors in the GOAT race, was in for a surprise when a journalist proceeded to ask the Spaniard a factually incorrect question. Nadal, who has only been able to win the Australian Open in 2009 was asked by the journalist - Stuart Fraser of The Times Sports, if he finds the conditions playing in Australia to be difficult or challenging as the Spaniard has not made it past the semi-finals since his 2009 win, apparently.
Rafael Nadal's face immediately changed and he was trying to stifle a laugh and just after Fraser finished the factually incorrect question, Rafael Nadal, instead of being angry or taking offense went ahead to politely and in fact, apologetically correct him in a heart-warming way. Beginning his reply with an 'I am very sorry to tell you...', Nadal reminded the journalist how he has been to the finals in 2012 (against Novak Djokovic), 2014 (against Stan Wawrinka), 2017 (against Roger Federer), and also mistakenly added 2018 to the list too in trying to recount and make the point that he has indeed been a finalist on more than one occasion after 2009.
Later, Stuart Fraser also admitted to this goof-up and humorously said 'It's been a long week. Just told Rafael Nadal he hadn't reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open since 2009. Decent chance I'll be stopped at the border for that..." in a tweet after the incident.
Well, to err, is human, but to forgive in this amusing a manner, you only need a Rafael Nadal.
