WATCH: Nadal Honoured With Commemorative Statue in Native Mallorca
Rafael Nadal attended the unveiling of a unique statue depicting the Spanish star in Mallorca.
Nadal is considered one of the ATP's all-time greats after the Spanish player won 22 Grand Slam titles in a top-level career lasting more than two decades. In 2016, the veteran player launched his own tennis academy in his home town of Manacor, a city on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
With Nadal ruled out of Wimbledon and most of the 2023 season, as he recovers from surgery, the 37-year-old has kept busy by supporting countryman Feliciano Lopez at the Mallorca Championships. Then, Nadal appeared at the official unveiling of his new statue in Mallorca.
The statue is a fitting reward for Nadal's achievements in the game, which include 14 Roland Garros wins, four US Open titles and two victories at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. Also, several current ATP stars have benefitted from training at the Rafael Nadal Academy in recent years, most notably Casper Ruud, who reached three Grand Slam finals in the last 12 months.
The first half of 2023 has been a challenging time for Nadal on and off the court. In January, the Spanish player sustained an injury in his second-round Australian Open defeat against Mackenzie McDonald and he has not returned to the court since.
Ultimately, the veteran's omission from professional tennis has seen him miss out on several top events on the calendar. Nadal was officially ruled out of the 2023 Roland Garros in May, which meant the all-time French Open winner could not defend his 2022 title as Novak Djokovic went on to win the competition.
Currently, it appears as though Nadal will be out for the remainder of the 2023 season and the Spanish star is likely to return for what could be his final campaign in 2024 on the ATP Tour.
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