Pedro Cachin defended by respected pundit after Rafael Nadal shirt saga
Respected tennis commentator Mark Petchey has come to the defence of Pedro Cachin after the Argentine was criticised by some for asking for Rafael Nadal’s shirt.
Defying a poor run of form heading into the tournament, Cachin pushed the 22-time Grand Slam champion in a three-hour contest at the Madrid Open on Monday, in what is likely Nadal’s last appearance at the tournament.
Following the conclusion of the encounter – which Nadal won 6-1, 6-7(5), 6-3 on Court Manolo Santana – Cachin asked the Spaniard at the net for a souvenir, ultimately receiving a shirt.
Many hailed the world No 91 for not being afraid to ask for a token to remember the match by, while also hailing Nadal’s sportsmanship.
But some did not look upon the incident so kindly, accusing the Argentine of unprofessionalism.
However, Cachin has found an ally in the form of Petchey, who himself played on the ATP Tour before becoming one of the most recognisable commentators in the game.
The Brit took to Twitter to relay a story about a similar moment involving himself and Boris Becker, who he once played at Wimbledon.
I once got a bottle of @moetchandon signed with the score he kicked by ass at Wimbledon by from @TheBorisBecker after an event we did together.
It took pride of place in my fridge.
It was a sign of respect for someone who was simply better in the ring than me. It was also a…
— Mark Petchey (@_markpetchey) April 30, 2024
He said: “I once got a bottle of Moet Chandon signed with the score he kicked by [sic] ass at Wimbledon by from Boris Becker after an event we did together.
“It took pride of place in my fridge.
“It was a sign of respect for someone who was simply better in the ring than me. It was also a sign of respect for what he had done for tennis and the positive ripple effect it had had on everyone.
“Didn’t mean if I went back in the ring I wouldn’t try to kick his ass but the reality is, not everyone can be a great Champion in the ring.
“So showing respect for those that can and have inspired you to live your own version of that dream is the biggest compliment you can pay them. Pedro did that yesterday.”
Among those to second Petchey’s viewpoint was Becker himself, who simply quoted Petchey’s post and said: “word.”
Cachin himself took to social media after his match on Monday to express gratitude to Nadal, posting a picture of the shirt on his Instagram story and saying: “Thank you Rafael Nadal, it was a dream.”
After winning two matches in Madrid before his impressive showing against the former world No 1, the 29-year-old will hope to have turned a corner after a 15-match losing run heading into the Masters 1000 event.
