World No.1 Rafael Nadal is convinced that despite hazardous air quality in Melbourne, the Australian Open 2020 will not have any problems during the event. The Spaniard revealed that he is satisfied by the tournament officials amid air quality concerns at Melbourne Park.
Nadal explained he was told air measurements were being taken every four minutes. The Mallorcan also revealed that the standard set is more strict than that by the International Olympic Committee.
“I received an answer that convinced me”: Nadal
The No.1 seeded checked with tournament officials about the situation and was satisfied with the answer he was given. The officials have set a rule that play would not take place if PM2.5 concentration levels exceeded a reading of 200. On the other hand, players are allowed to compete until the reading of 300 in the Olympics.
“I don’t have concerns because I am just one more player. When the issues were there a couple of days ago in qualifying when I heard the players having issues, asking questions, me like a player, the only thing I can do is go to the tournament director office, ask what’s going on, because I have been practising those days, too,” Nadal told the reporters on Saturday.
He further added: “I really received, for me – that doesn’t mean for everyone it should be the same. But for me, I received an answer that convinced me. They told me that they have the right specialists here analysing and monitoring every four minutes the air.”
“I am here to play”: Rafael Nadal
He explicated there are parameters, that with some parameters they don’t play. If it is over 200, the players won’t play, under 200 players normally play. “What I received on the answer is on the ‘Olympic rule’ is until 300 you can keep competing,” he said.
Rafael Nadal
“So when I received an answer like this when I received an answer that the most important committee in the world of sport, like the Olympic Committee, allowed the people to compete until 300, and we are going until 200, I really cannot believe that the most important committee in the world wants bad health for the competitors. So that answer convinced me. I am here to play. Hopefully, the situation doesn’t come back to the negative numbers.”
Nadal suggested that the only thing they can do is have the right people here, the right people who can analyse everything that’s going on.
Rafael Nadal
In Nadal’s opinion, the tournament can do is listen to the specialists, listen to the doctors, and then make the decision based on what the doctor says. He elucidated that if the doctor says it’s not a problem, why we don’t go to play? If the doctor says a problem, of course, there is an issue to not play.
