{"id":42134,"date":"2025-04-19T02:06:38","date_gmt":"2025-04-19T02:06:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42134"},"modified":"2025-04-19T02:06:38","modified_gmt":"2025-04-19T02:06:38","slug":"i-didnt-like-refereeing-him-atp-chair-umpire-says-rafael-nadal-made-him-nervous-and-tense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=42134","title":{"rendered":"“I Didn’t Like Refereeing Him”- ATP Chair Umpire Says Rafael Nadal Made Him Nervous And Tense"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an\u00a0open interview\u00a0with Mundo Deportivo, long-time Spanish chair umpire Jaume Campistol looked back on his time calling Rafael Nadal’s matches. Though of the same country and with immense respect for Nadal’s integrity and humility, Campistol acknowledged that it was especially difficult to call Nadal’s matches because of the player’s perfectionistic routines and clock management during matches.<\/p>\n

“Being Spanish, I didn’t referee him much. He was an honest and humble player, but I didn’t like refereeing him,\u201d said Campistol. \u201cI got very nervous about the time issue because he was always on the edge and I suffered, because he wouldn’t make it and you’d have to book him- that’s the role of the referee; you have to make the decision based on the rules.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rafael<\/p>\n

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Rafael Nadal (ESP) plays against Novak Djokovic (SRB) in the men\u2019s tennis singles first round during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games<\/p>\n

Amber Searls-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cIt made me a little tense to be so close to him, but that’s what we always told him: if the others can do it, you have to know how to adapt too,” Campistol said of Nadal’s practice of getting to the time limit at the end of a point.<\/p>\n

This practice continued to put umpires in a difficult spot, as they needed to apply the rule without interrupting the rhythm of the match or seeming too strict.\u200b<\/p>\n