The glare of the showcase court at the French Open can be intense, even for Rafael Nadal.
The 13-time Roland Garros champion was unhappy Monday that the stadium lights were on when he played his late-afternoon match against Jannik Sinner. Nadal said he was bothered by the combination of sunshine, shadows and the artificial lights, which were installed before last year’s tournament.
Nadal said he was told the lights were on for television.
“My answer is we used to have TV before,” Nadal said. “I saw plenty of matches here on TV, and the quality of the image was great without the lights.”
Despite the distraction, Nadal won 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals and extend his streak of sets won at Roland Garros to 35.
