Rafael Nadal isn’t your regular tennis superstar, the Spaniard’s physical capabilities extend beyond tennis courts. In a recent viral video on X (formerly known as Twitter), we get a chance to see his impressive swimming skills.
The Spaniard has been one of the greatest success stories in all of sports. He was a child prodigy expected to do great, but what he has accomplished at this point in his career is beyond anyone could’ve expected. Nadal is one of the best competitors and athletes there is in world sports.
Sharing his swim video on Instagram, Nadal showcased his conditioning training by the poolside.
“🏊♂️ 📶,” the Spaniard captioned his post, originally shared on Instagram.
Rafa Nadal's lung capacity is CRAZY! 😱
— Eurosport (@eurosport) February 9, 2024
(via IG/rafaelnadal) pic.twitter.com/PJLHg9hWdb
Meanwhile, the Spaniard is putting in the work to overcome his injuries and make a second comeback of the year. His first one which came in the Brisbane International tournament earlier in the year went south due to yet another minor injury. This blow also meant that he would be sidelined from featuring in the Australian Open.
The former World No.1 is expected to make a comeback in the upcoming Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Doha. The competition is expected to feature the Spaniard’s long-time rival Andy Murray and other formidable opponents such as Andrey Rublev and last year’s champion Daniil Medvedev.
The tournament would serve as a pre-cursor for the 22-time Grand Slam Champion as he’ll be eyeing to make another Roland Garros run in the next month when the Clay season officially begins. If he plays the entire tournament without another injury scare, it’ll be his first full-fledged tournament without an injury and help him restore his confidence.
Rafael Nadal reveals that his knees hinder his swimming capabilities too
Rafael Nadal is an avid and passionate swimmer. However, his recent knee injuries have slowly taken the life out of the activity for him. Here’s how Nadal described his injury concerns hampering his extra-circulars.
In an interview given to the magazine Nauta360, the Spaniard admitted his love for swimming and aquatic exercises in general. The 22-time Slam champion said that he often tries to be involved in these activities during the tour as well.
“Whenever I can, I try to swim and snorkel, to do everything I can in the water. Sometimes I also do aquatic exercises, especially in case of injury, because everything you can do in the water is very important to recover well.”
However, later, in the same interview, Nadal revealed that he has cut short his water sports in recent years due to his knees being constantly affected due to these activities.
“But I do not practise water sports regularly, at least now. It would not be good for my knees, I do not do water sports for health reasons, but in the future I would love to take it up again, of course,” Nadal said.
