Rafa Nadal shames rivals with astonishing admission about smashing racquets

At a time when it seems like more racquets are being smashed than ever before, Rafael Nadal has made a stunning revelation that puts his rivals to shame.

In an interview with 60 Minutes in America before the Australian Open, Nadal said he hadn’t smashed a single racquet in his career.

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"My family, they wouldn't have allowed me to break a racquet," Nadal said.

"For me, breaking a racquet means I'm not in control of my emotions."

The recent ATP Cup saw a number of racquets smashed, with Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and Karen Khachanov all taking out their frustrations on their racquets.

Stefanos Tsitsipas even clipped his father with one outburst of his racquet and needed to be told off by his mother.

Australian Open qualifying back underway

Play in Australian Open qualifying got underway on Wednesday following a three-hour delay due to smoke from the Victorian bushfires hanging over Melbourne.

Tournament officials were heavily criticised on Tuesday for allowing play to proceed at Melbourne Park, which forced the mid-match retirement of Slovenia's Dalila Jakupovic with breathing difficulties.

The air quality index at 1pm in the Melbourne CBD on Wednesday showed conditions as "unhealthy", an improvement on Tuesday's "hazardous" reading.

There was no option to move play to the venue's eight indoor courts, excluding the main air-conditioned arenas such as Rod Laver, as there are permanent open vents.

A number of players complained on Tuesday, including Australian Bernard Tomic, who sought medical treatment during his first round loss when he struggled to breathe.

Tennis Australia said it will continue to work with its medical team and the Bureau of Meterology and Environment Protection Authority Victoria scientists when making decisions about whether it's safe to play.

TA said it has installed measuring devices on-site for air quality, with play cleared to continue during the opening round of qualifying.

Qualifying top seed Dennis Novak from Austria will be in action against German Dustin Brown, while a number of local hopes take to the court on day two.

Queenslander Akira Santillan is among those first up, taking on Frenchman Quentin Halys.

with AAP