Rafael Nadal asked the umpire for a toilet break when Alexander Zverev received treatment.
It was the semifinal match between Rafael Nadal and Alexander Zverev at the 2022 French Open when this incident happened. Alexander Zverev suffered a horrifying ankle injury during the second set which forced him to exit the court in a wheelchair.
Rafael Nadal was leading in the match winning the first set in a tie-breaker. A tough fight continued in the second set from Zverev at the other end and the scores were 6-6 when the German suffered an ankle injury.
Nadal also rushed to Zverev’s side of the court as he crashed on the ground and cried in pain. Unable to put weight on his ankle he was immediately taken off the court in a wheelchair.
Zverev: * in agonizing pain *
— Ⓜ️🅾️🚧💲📧N (@m_dezyani) December 17, 2023
Nadal: So… mind if I drop a deuce?
Says: If I go to do ..uh..piss during that time, it's counting? pic.twitter.com/fjnoyPtiLk
As the German received treatment, during that time the Spaniard asked the umpire if he was allowed for a toilet break. He said:
If I go to do..uh..p**s during that time, it’s counting?
-Rafael Nadal to the umpire
To which the umpire replied:
It’s counting, but its better if you go now….Then you have one more.
The new rules for toilet breaks say that a player can only take one toilet break during a match and that too during a set break. Nadal asked for permission when Zverev was receiving treatment off the court.
As Nadal returned from his toilet break, Zverev also walked onto the court in crutches and confirmed his withdrawal from the match. The 2020 US Open finalist fell short of another opportunity to win a Slam and Nadal made his way to clinch his 14th French Open title.
Rafael Nadal turned the match in his favor after a toilet break at the 2014 Wimbledon Open
The toilet breaks awarded to the players have been a controversial topic for a long time. Some players are sincere whereas some players use it strategically to overturn a result in their favor.
One such incident was when Rafael Nadal took a break to relieve himself. It was the 2014 Wimbledon Open when he was up against Mikhail Kukushin in the third round. After losing the first set, Nadal asked the umpire if he could use the bathroom. He was granted permission and upon his return, he changed the course of the match and won the following three sets 6-1 to win the match.
Rafael Nadal defended himself after the match when he was asked about his break:
“I needed to use the bathroom, that’s all. I took a t-shirt and a bandana because I needed to change there, that’s it. I didn’t want to do anything else than a toilet break.”
– Rafael Nadal in post match interview
