Rafael Nadal teased Roger Federer about his decision to skip the clay-court season, saying the two rivals won't get to play on the slow surface—as the Spaniard says the Swiss wanted to do.
"It's not my interest. It's his decision," Nadal was quoted in Spanish as saying, before adding with a smile, "He said a couple of days ago that he would love to play against me again on clay, best of five sets, so I thought he would play Roland Garros. Then in a few days he says he will not play. A little bit of a contradiction."
Nadal's comment was quoted in English using the word "controversial" to describe Federer's decision.
The comment appears to refer to Federer's statement during a press conference at Indian Wells, where the 20-time Grand Slam champion responded to a question about his confidence of winning on clay against Nadal, especially with his improved backhand. The shot has been lauded in Federer's recent meetings against Nadal on hardcourts. Last year, Federer went 4-0 against Nadal on the playing surface.
Court Report—Federer wins fifth consecutive match against Nadal:
