There is a fire in tennis that does not go out, and it is not that of the terrifying Australian fires. It is the difference between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with Novak Djokovic. If they were always in style and in recent political times (who should be in charge of the ATP and how the circuit should evolve), they now go through the unexpected combination of tennis and climate change.

These days, after a turbulent week at the Australian Open, Nadal and Federer were responsible for raising the morale of the tournament and, incidentally, making the Serbian indirectly clear that more care should be taken when speaking. The Mallorcan was not confronted with the question: "Djokovic spoke of the possibility of postponing, suspending or moving the tournament, while both you and Federer were much more cautious. Wouldn't it have been desirable greater and better coordination between the three greats of tennis ? "

It was as if Nadal had been waiting for him to be given the opportunity to say what he would say next: "I don't have to have coordination with anyone. In the end what I don't like is talking about things I don't know. that I don't know, I try to speak as little as possible. I prefer to listen to the experts. I cannot position myself in favor of suspending the tournament. Based on what? On the basis of smoke? These are topics that I, like Rafa Nadal, I have no choice to answer because I don't know. I have to be cautious for the simple reason that I don't know. "

Lighter, water. Half an hour before, Federer had gone along the same line, although much more irritated than the Spanish: "Go to the streets and ask people if they want this tournament to leave Melbourne or Australia."

Federer, who is already in the third round, where he will play with the Australian John Millman, his executioner two years ago at the US Open, bothers him when the media insist on issues outside tennis, but the issue of fires is inevitable at the beginning of a 2020 that will soon add the question of whether the Fukushima nuclear accident does not generate fear for the Tokyo Olympics. A year in which Greta Thunberg, present these days at the Davos Forum, put him between a rock and a hard place and asked him to repudiate one of his sponsors, the Credit Suisse bank, for investing in projects that are harmful to the environment . Federer has been reacting intelligently to the challenge, but Neue Zürcher Zeitung accurately synthesized what is happening to the Swiss in the final stretch of his career: "Federer was a man who until recently was beyond good and evil. That is already past. Roger can no longer get rid of Greta. "

The problems do not stop

Despite the redemptive rains, the atmosphere remains charged. The Melbourne City Council decided not to launch fireworks on Saturday 25, "Australia Day", and the organizers cross their fingers so that the wind does not turn east and return the smoke to the tournament, other problems cross over the next fortnight . This Wednesday, the wind was very intense and disturbed the game. And Djokovic, who ran over Tatsumo Ito, guest of the organization, mentioned the fires again.

There is also the streetcar strike, which on Tuesday 28 and Thursday 30 will stop for four hours, precisely at the time the spectators use them to reach the Rod Laver Arena. And, if that were not enough, there is also the controversy surrounding Margaret Court, which this year celebrates the 50th anniversary of its conquest of the Grand Slam - the four great titles in the same season - but which will not deliver the trophy to the champion due to the rejection generated by her opinions about the LGBT collective.

Owner of a record number of 24 individual Grand Slam titles, Court said weeks ago that the female circuit "is full of lesbians" and that "the devil" is behind the acceptance of homosexual relationships. Federer saw, precisely, the demon when asked what he thought of the subject and opted for evasion. Craig Tiley, director of the contest, said that the sporting feats of Court will be "recognized," but the person will not be "celebrated." And Martina Navratilova, of intense activity on Twitter, crossed over to the Australian champion, who said she felt persecuted for spreading "what the Bible says."

"Do you talk about persecution when she is the one who calls gays and transsexual children of the devil? Who is the persecuted really?" Navratilova, as in his times as a player, goes to attack.

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  • Rafael Nadal
  • Novak Djokovic
  • Australian Open
  • Greta Thunberg
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