Without a doubt, Rafael Nadal has shown how great a tennis player he is in the past 19 years of his professional career. However, the Spaniard left the Italian crowd speechless when he displayed his soccer skills while practicing with Stefanos Tsitsipas on court 3 in Rome. The former World No.1 reiterated his desire to play at the Italian Open after exiting in the round of 16 of the Madrid Open. Despite playing only five matches before Madrid, Nadal proved how much experience he had on the clay surface. He went on to win three matches en route to his last 16 defeat.
Rafael Nadal shows off his soccer skills (Via Imago/Screengrab Instagram)
Rome is now pivotal for the 37-year-old participation in the French Open, which starts on May 26. He was among the early arrivals to make sure he continued with his Madrid form. He first trained in Court 3 on Saturday with fans excited at seeing their record champion. Today, Nadal was back on the clay surface, looking brighter than his earlier practice sessions.
This time around Nadal trained with Stefanos Tsitsipas, who himself has five clay titles. The Greek ace recently won the Monte Carlo Masters and reached the finals of the Barcelona Open. Although he exited from Madrid in the second round against World No.106 Thiago Moura Monteiro, he owns a 21-8 record this season.
In a viral video clip on Instagram, Nadal was seen raising a tennis ball after a set against Tsitsipas. Although the score was not announced, Nadal played well as he looks set to getting into his competitive rhythm.
Meanwhile, this is the final Tour of Nadal in the ATP. The Italian crowd has shown up with enthusiasm in his practice sessions and more when he plays his opening match at the Foro Italico.
Rafael Nadal to face tricky tests at the Italian Open as he faces a tough draw
Rafael Nadal looks set to face a tricky test if he has to win the Italian Open in Rome. He will play against a qualifier in the first round, which he is likely to sail through. His second-round opponent will be World No.9 Hubert Hurkacz, who won the Estoril Open last month.
He will likely face Dannish Holger Rune in the Round of 16 before Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Nadal has only one Top 20 win this season against Alex de Minaur. If he does win Hurkacz it will be a great success.
He last won the Rome Masters in 2021 despite losing the Madrid title. He will be hoping for the same fortune on his last tour.
