John McEnroe has suggested that Rafael Nadal gets special treatment from umpires over his slow service routine

• Rafael Nadal has a famously slow service routine.
• John McEnroe suggested to Insider that he isn't punished for it because he's a tennis legend.

John McEnroe has suggested that tennis superstar Rafael Nadal gets special treatment from umpires.

The tennis legend made the claim while speaking to Insider last month about superstitions he had on the court during his playing career.

"I didn't have any major superstitions," said McEnroe. "Sometimes, I'd step on lines on odd games and not step on the same lines in deuce games, or I'd mismatch outfits on purpose because I was winning that way.

"It was those sort of things. I wasn't nearly as bad as Rafa."

The American went on to reference Nadal's famous serving routine, in which before each serve, the Spaniard places his hair behind his ear, pulls his nose and adjusts his shorts while bouncing the ball numerous times.

"Rafa has got his ritual that takes 30 seconds every time he plays a point," he said. "If you're that great you can get away with it.

"That's one of the incentives of being the best — you get away with more, as evidenced by what I did at times on the court and what he does, in a totally classier way, though. Obviously, he's not out there screaming at people or anything."

McEnroe isn't the first person to suggest Nadal is given preferential treatment by umpires over his slow style of play.

At the Australian Open in January, Canadian player Denis Shapovalov said the 35-year-old "100%" gets special treatment, after losing to Nadal in the quarterfinals.

"I think it's unfair how much Rafa is getting away with," Shapovalov said after the defeat. He had twice complained to umpire Carlos Bernardes about how much time Nadal was taking between points during the match.

Players are allowed 25 seconds between points and two minutes between sets, all timed by a shot clock.

"Every other match that I have played, the pace has been so quick because the refs have been on the clock after every single point," said Shapovalov.

"This one, after the first two sets, it was like an hour and a half just because he's dragged out so much."

He added: "I respect everything that Rafa has done, and I think he's an unbelievable player. But there have got to be some boundaries, some rules set.

"It's just so frustrating as a player. You feel like you're not just playing against the player; you're playing against the umpires, you're playing against so much more."

In reply to the Canadian's claims, Nadal said: "I believe he is wrong in this case."

A representative for Nadal, when presented with McEnroe's comments, responded: "The time between points are timed by a clock that both players, umpire and public can see. If any player goes below the rules time allow they automatically get a warning. So I don't really see anymore the discussion about this matter."