Rafael Nadal warns fans about artificial intelligence impersonating him for profit
NewsTuesday, 23 September 2025 at 22:30
The growing and concerning impacts of artificial intelligence have been demonstrated after Rafael Nadal alerted his fans to fake videos of him.
Many fans and some players enjoy imitating Nadal because of his iconic voice and mannerisms on the court. Novak Djokovic, who considers the Spaniard his greatest rival, has famously done so a few times.
However, artificial intelligence doing so is very different. The increasing sophistication of the technology can lead people to be fooled into believing celebrities are saying things and endorsing projects or ideas when that is not the case.
Videos circulating online of what appeared to be Rafael Nadal caused much attention. It was part of a fake advertising campaign related to investment, which could have fooled people and ended up costing them money.
Nadal made a statement about it on social media. He warned people that the videos were not him or anything related to him and asked his fans to be cautious when watching such videos online.
"Hello everyone. I'm sharing this alert, which is unusual for me on social media, but I believe it’s necessary. My team and I have identified fake videos circulating on certain platforms, created with artificial intelligence, where someone appears to look and sound like me."
"These videos promote investment tips or offers that do not come from me. They are part of a misleading advertising scheme. Please be cautious: I have not made or endorsed any such content."
Hopefully, nobody fell for the scam. Despite artificial intelligence still being a relatively new phenomenon, imitating athletes using it is already a common phenomenon used to try to catch people out.
While it would be ideal if the solution were simple, the reality is that the weaponization of AI to scam people will become an even more significant issue as it gets increasingly sophisticated.
Nadal was linked to working with Alexander Zverev
After Wimbledon, Alexander Zverev was pictured at the Rafa Nadal Academy, which is largely run by the 22-time Grand Slam champion's uncle and former coach, Toni Nadal. That sparked rumors about possible collaborations.
Some outlets reported on the chance of Toni being Zverev's coach and Rafael being his mentor. Toni has worked with Felix Auger-Aliassime since leaving his nephew's team in the early months of 2017.
While having Toni as a coach could be a great move for Zverev, his commitments to the Rafa Nadal Academy complicate the situation. The German remains open to working with him in the future.
Boris Becker was another rumored coach for Zverev. The pair used to share a good relationship, but that disintegrated when the three-time Grand Slam champion took issue with the tennis legend's public comments about him being too passive and not stepping up in big moments.
If Zverev is to become a Grand Slam champion, most believe he needs to seize the moment and be more aggressive during important moments. Nadal was one of the best in tennis history at doing that.
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