There was controversy during the quarter-final match between Rafael Nadal and Denis Shapovalov at the Australian Open on Tuesday when umpire Carlos Bernades found himself in the centre of a heated discussion about the time the Spaniard was taking to get ready between points, and about his handling of the situation.<br /><br />Canadian Shapovalov, who lost the match in five sets, was frustrated that Bernades was not penalising Nadal and at one stage let his anger spill over, saying to Bernades: “You guys are all corrupt”. Shapovalov later apologised for his choice of words but the episode raised the question of whether top players receive special treatment at times.<br /><br />In his latest episode of Eye of the Coach, coach Patrick Mouratoglou says he understands Shapovalov’s frustrations and says top players exert a unique pressure on chair umpires that can lead to what others may deem special treatment.<br /><br />KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF “THE EYE OF THE COACH” WITH PATRICK MOURATOGLOU<br />Why umpires feel under pressure when umpiring the world’s best players (0.15)<br />Why Shapovalov’s frustration is totally understandable (0.23)<br />How Nadal’s problems with Bernardes in the past may influence the umpire’s thinking (0.32)<br />How the top players sometimes get special treatment, even when it’s not done on purpose (0.53)<br />How the world’s top players do what is good for them (1.00)<br />Why tennis should introduce a time rule between first and second serves (1.33)
