It’s been hailed as the match of the year, so it’s any wonder that tennis star Rafa Nadal wanted to retain every last ounce of his energy in pursuit of victory.
However, asking a ball boy to run to a bin that the Spanish ace was actually sat right beside invoked the wrath of watching tennis fans
During a change-over in the thrilling match with Luxembourg’s Gilles Muller – which Nadal eventually lost – the fourth seed shocked viewers when he took the lid off a drinks pouch and promptly summoned the nearest ball boy to take it from him.
The youngster swiftly took it out of the sporting superstar’s hand and made his way to the bin, which was just to the left of Nadal’s chair.
With millions watching the knife-edge match – which ended 15-13 to Muller in a titanic fifth set – people took to social media to comment on the diva-like request.
@Callumdeegan88 seethed: ‘When you’re too rich to put your own rubbish in the bin right next to you #Wimbledon #Nadal’
Another viewer, @LuciHoneychurch added: ‘I can dive for tennis balls all day long, but that rubbish bin is just too far away.’
@louisbishop raged: ‘Mate, the bin is two metres away.’
Some questioned whether he was so ‘in the moment’ that he simply didn’t realise he was sat next to a bin.
@jilldressaddict penned: ‘Does Nadal not realise there’s a bin right next to him which he can put his own rubbish in? #Wimbledon’
