Toni Nadal has a message for Benoit Paire: Your slacker attitude is hurting the sport.
In a recent interview with L’Equipe, Paire admitted he’d rather be on the beach than giving it all on the court. Paire has also blasted the ATP Tour during the Coronavirus pandemic as “sad, boring and ridiculous.”
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“I just want to go to the pool or the beach,” Paire told L’Equipe. “Right now if I lose in a first round of a tournament I take $10,000,why am I going to go crazy to win a little more…
“I no longer train, I don’t take the racket between tournament and tournament, plus I don’t have a coach or a physical trainer.”
Paire, who has struggled to a 1-7 start to the season, blew up in Buenos Aires earlier this month. Incensed by what he felt was a bad call, Paire spit on a ball mark he had been disputing with the chair umpire, incurred a code violation then slammed a smash in anger. The bearded Frenchman intentionally tanked match point missing a very slow second serve earning some jeers from the limited fans in attendance.
Toni Nadal has seen and heard enough and says Paire’s apathetic attitude is hurting the sport..
“Paire does not do tennis a favor with these statements,” Toni Nadal told Antena 3 Deportes. “Very little value is given to the effort lately…
“What’s not normal is not fighting.”