WATCH: Rafael Nadal and his wife make surprise appearance at Mallorca Championships
It has been a while since we saw Rafael Nadal at a tennis tournament, but on Tuesday he made a special appearance at the Mallorca Championships – albeit as a spectator – alongside his wife Mery Perelló.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner has been out of action since he picked up a hip injury at the Australian Open in January and he will remain on the sidelines for a while longer after undergoing surgery at the beginning of June.
It means the tennis community has seen very little of Nadal in the flesh this year, but fans finally got glimpses of the Spaniard as he took time out to watch his good friend Feliciano Lopez – playing in his final tournament as a professional – at the ATP 250 grass-court event in his hometown of Mallorca.
Wildcard Lopez took on Australian Max Purcell in the first round in Santa Ponsa and Nadal and his wife Mery Perelló – who gave birth to the couple’s first child, a boy, in October last year – were court side to watch their fellow Spaniard.
And it was a good match for the Spanish community as Lopez won 6-3, 7-5 to set up a second-round clash against another Australian in Jordan Thompson, who upset sixth seed Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-4.
Besides Nadal, former players Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez were also in attendance.
“It’s a really special win for me, probably one of the most special wins of my career so far, to be honest,” Feliciano Lopez said after the match. “This is over my expectations, to be winning a match at this stage of my career in Mallorca, this beautiful place, surrounded by the ones that I love, my friends.”
“Most of them came for my hypothetical last match. Luckily, it wasn’t the last match of my life. I have another opportunity tomorrow, and this is very overwhelming, I have to say.”
Nadal, meanwhile, will have plenty of time to take in tennis matches either court side or on TV over the next few months as he is only expected to return to action in next year before retiring at the end of the 2024 season.
“My goal and my ambition is to try and stop and give myself an opportunity to enjoy the next year that will probably be my last year in the professional tour,” the 37-year-old said during a press conference in May.
“That is my idea but I can’t say 100 per cent it will be like this but my idea and my motivation is to try to enjoy and say goodbye to all the tournaments that have been important for me.
“To enjoy being competitive and something that today is not possible. I believe if I keep going now, I will not be able to make it happen.”
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