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Thu, Oct 10, 2024 | Rabi al-Thani 7, 1446 | DXB
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Dubai tennis officials on why Nadal was such a nice person
Sharad Arora, who completed 50 years as a UAE resident in August this year, was a line official when Nadal won the Dubai title in 2006
Rafael Nadal of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland with their trophies after the 2006 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships final. — AFP file
Sharad Arora and Hany El Khafief, match officials at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, have officiated in many memorable matches featuring some of the greatest players of all time.
But they rarely came across a player as nice as Rafael Nadal, the 22-time Grand Slam winner who announced his retirement on Thursday.
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The legendary Spaniard was only 19 when he won the Dubai title in 2006, beating his great rival Roger Federer in an epic three-set battle (2-6, 6-4, 6-4).
Arora, 74, still has fond memories of that 2006 Dubai final when Nadal broke down in tears after ending Federer’s stunning 56-match unbeaten run on hard court.
“It was a pleasure working on his matches in that tournament,” Arora told the Khaleej Times.
“But while you are officiating, you are just concentrating on your job, to make the right calls as the line official. You are not there to enjoy the tennis, you are there to do your job.
“So you have to be at your best because champions like Nadal know all the rules. But having said that, it was enjoyable because he was such a nice guy, it was easy for us to do our job.”
Arora, a former state-level player in India who completed 50 years as a UAE resident in August this year, then revealed what separated Nadal from some other legends of the past.
“I have seen many great players over the years. You know tennis once had legends like John McEnroe and Ilie Nastase who were also great characters. But officiating in their matches can be a challenge because they can fire you if they don’t agree with one of the calls you made,” he said.
“With players like Nadal, Federer and even Novak Djokovic, it was never the case. These guys are not just great champions, they are also very nice guys.”
Meanwhile, El Khafief, one of the longest-serving tennis referees in Asia and Africa, will never forget the day when Nadal beat Federer in the 2006 final.
“I remember the entire stadium in Dubai was chanting Rafa’s name. The Spanish fans held aloft placards that read ‘Uno’ (number one). The final was an epic, I think it was one of the rare ATP finals in Dubai when the two finalists were world number one and world number two. It was one of the most incredible matches the Dubai tennis stadium saw,” the Dubai-based Egyptian official told the Khaleej Times.
Nadal also won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship, an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi featuring the world’s best platers, five times.
“Yes, he also played in Abu Dhabi for many years. It was always easy to work with Rafa,” El Khafief said.
“He was very down-to-earth, he used to talk to everybody nicely and didn’t mind joking with us. But on the court, he was a different person, the way he ran for his shots, he was like a matador.
“So watching him from the court-side was a different experience all these years. It has been a great ride, tennis will miss him a lot.”
But El Khafief will meet Nadal soon. “I am going to meet him in Riyadh in two days’ time,” he said.
“He will play at the 6 Kings Slam (an exhibition tournament) here . I am very excited to meet him again.”
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Rituraj Borkakoty
Rituraj Borkakoty is Sports Editor and has spent more than two decades writing on his sporting heroes. He also loves an underdog story, so if you have one, share it with him. He would love to bring it to life.
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com 
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