Umpire Carlos Bernardes acknowledged he and Rafael Nadal probably had some tense moments on the court but also underlined that everything that happened was behind them.
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If you remember well, the former 22-time Grand Slam champion and the chair umpire had an argument during a 2015 Rio Open match. During that clash, the Spaniard was hit with multiple violations.
Afterward, it was rumored that Nadal requested the ATP to ban Bernardes from his matches. Later when asked if it was true, the former world No. 1 publicly confirmed the reports.
"Yes, it was my request," he said at the time.
Back then, the Spaniard also said he respected the Brazilian as a person but there were certain reasons why he didn't want him anymore at his matches: I consider him a great umpire and a good person, but I think when you have some troubles with the same umpire, sometimes its easy to stay for a while away, no?
Bernardes sheds light on his relationship with Nadal
Last week, the 38-year-old concluded his astonishing career at the Davis Cup Finals. Bernardes was also there and his 40-year career as a tennis official also ended.
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While in Spain, the Brazilian - who officiated some of Nadal's matches in recent years - was asked to address their relationship.
"We have that image because of the arguments. But we always treated each other very well. He was always very respectful towards me. And this is something I will never forget. I was sad because he ended his career this way. I wanted to be there to see him. I didn't even think about refereeing him. I just wanted to see him because of the great work he has done for other players. He was very important for tennis," Bernardes told AS.
Considering that Nadal was known as one of the nicest and kindest players, it shouldn't be surprising that he resolved his past issues with the Brazilian umpire before retiring.
