Spain’s Fernando Verdasco has insisted that his controversial interaction with a ball boy during the Shenzhen Open was blown out of proportion by social media.
The world No.27 was criticised for his behaviour towards one ball boy during his semi-final match against Yoshiioto Nishioka. He was caught on camera telling the child to hurry up in passing him his towel between points. The footage went viral on the internet with many jumping to the defence of the child. Former British Fed Cup captain Judy Murray wrote on Twitter “What about a rule that makes players get their own towels?” in the aftermath on the controversy.
Verdasco (🎥@TennisTV ) pic.twitter.com/cVTHMIDrBR
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) 29 September 2018
Speaking about the incident for the first time at this week’s Paris Masters, the 34-year-old said that he never intended to be so abrupt towards the ball boy. Saying that he ‘love’ the work ball boys do on the court. Partly blaming the conditions for his outburst.
“Obviously I didn’t mean to be like that,’ The Daily Mail reported Verdasco as saying. “But I think with social media there are certain people who sometimes speak too much. I received many messages telling me to apologise – it looks like I did something really wrong to the guy, when it was my way of telling him was that we have 24 seconds (between points).
‘It was superhumid and the kid was obviously not understanding English when I was asking for a towel. When you finish the point at the net, what you cannot do is go running every point to get your towel if you only have twenty seconds rest after a long rally.”
Continuing his defence, Verdasco said his behaviour has been made to appear more bad than it actually was. He is not the first player to be criticised for their behaviour towards the balls kids. Earlier this week Aryna Sabalenka issued an apology over a bottle incident that occurred during the China Open.
‘It looked like I hit the ball boy, I punch him in the face or I tell him something so rude, but I was just talking fast. Obviously my reaction with the arms was the thing that looked so bad but it was never my intention to be rude or disrespectful.
Amid the fallout over the towel incident, the ATP is testing a new rule at next week’s Next Generation finals in Milan. A tournament that features the best players under the age of 21. Towel rails will be placed at both ends of the courts. A move that will see ball kids no longer handling players sweaty towels. The ATP has previously trailed things at the tournament before expanding it onto the tour. Although the towel rails don’t have the backing of Verdasco.
“I think that the ball boys are on the court to try to help the players. Taking out the ball boys to give you the towel or give you the balls is something that is ridiculous, I think that they are happy to help,” he said.
Verdasco lost in the second round of the Paris Masters on Wednesday to Malek Jaziri. His best performance on the tour this season was reaching the final of the Rio Open in February.
