Rafael Nadal, who has become a bit of a golf junkie, says he is sympathetic to Tiger Woods' plight in dealing with the insatiable tabloid press.
"The first thing I think [about the Woods issue] is that society is in a bad way," Nadal said in an interview with Marca. "Starting with the sports media, we have to judge Tiger as an athlete. His private life is his business and nobody else's. I still admire him because he is an exemplary athlete. It's funny because a lot of the people who criticized him now want him to come back because sport in general needs him.”
Last week, Nadal fell in the Indian Wells semis to Ivan Ljubicic, his first tournament back after suffering a knee injury in Australia. He said his physical ailments are weighing on him. "If you think about it, you are not only fighting against your opponent but also against yourself," he said. "And that kills you and affects your mind."—M.C.