Rafael Nadal, who is aiming for his fourth title in the Indian Wells Masters 1000, has called for “tougher sanctions” against players who have shed blood on the pitch, such as Alexander Zverev two weeks ago in Acapulco.

“I’m in a difficult position. I’m torn because I’m in a good relationship with Sasha, she’m someone I like. But she knows she made a mistake and she recognized it very quickly. Which is a good thing. If we can not control “This kind of behavior on the pitch or finding a way to punish it more severely, then we, the players, can have a sense of impunity,” the Spaniard told a news conference.

“But, as in all sports, we must be positive role models for the young people who watch us. “So, on the one hand, I do not want + Sasha + to be punished, but on the other hand, I would like to see stricter penalties for this kind of behavior, because it will protect the sport, the officials and everyone present at a game,” he insisted.

On Tuesday, the ATP issued an eight-week suspension from all matches and a $ 25,000 suspension with a trial period ending on February 22, 2023, one year after the incident, against Zverev.

The latter had come out of his hinges, at the end of a double loss match in Acapulco, hitting the referee’s chair three times, before sitting down and then getting up to attack him and give one last blow to the racket.

Excluded from the tournament, the gold medalist in Tokyo had “apologized”, claiming on Instagram that he “privately apologized to the referee of the chair” after his “unacceptable” outburst of anger.

Initially, the men’s circuit had fined him $ 40,000 and deprived him of his winnings in Mexico ($ 31,570 or 28,160 euros) as well as the points he earned in the disputed singles and doubles rankings.

The ATP has been criticized by celebrities such as Serena Williams for her leniency towards Germany No. 3, who will therefore be in contention in Indian Wells.