Rafael Nadal stays back despite heavy downpour to sign autographs for eager fans after Italian Open 2024 1R victory

Rafael Nadal signed autographs for fans despite heavy downpour after his first-round win at the 2024 Italian Open. The Spaniard did not disappoint his fans, who despite the harsh conditions, stayed back with the hope of getting his autograph.

The Spaniard, who is possibly in the final season of his career, is currently competing at the European clay court swing. He kicked off his campaign at the Barcelona Open and followed it up with the Madrid Open where he bid farewell to the tournament and the fans.

Nadal is currently competing at the Italian Open where he is the most decorated player in the tournament's history with a record 10 titles. He faced Belgium's Zizou Bergs in the opening round and though the Spaniard found himself a set down, he made a remarkable turnaround and went on to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

It is no secret that the former World No.1 always makes time for his fans and frequently engages with them. In yet another instance of his love towards his fans, the Spaniard waited and signed autographs for them amidst heavy downpour, who also waited to get a glimpse of the 22-time Grand Slam champion.

After signing the autographs, the 37-year-old carried his bags and ran to escape the rains but waved the fans goodbye. A user posted some clips on X (formerly Twitter) of the incident.

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"If something wrong happens, we going to accept it. But that's the moment to push. I feel more ready to try it than before" - Rafael Nadal

The Spaniard celebrates a point

During the post-match press conference, while discussing how much he exerted his body during matches and whether he husbanded his energy to avoid injuries, Rafael Nadal spoke about how he had Roland Garros in a few weeks and needed to push his body to the limit to feel ready for the grand stage.

"I have Roland Garros in just two weeks and a half, so... Arrive a moment that I need to prove myself if I am able to push my body to the limit that I need to push to feel myself ready for what's coming."

He also talked about how he needed to lose the fear of injuring himself in order to play at his best and be willing to take risks.

"I am not talking only about Roland Garros. I am talking about the next match. I need to lose this fear. Matches like today help. Some moments I was moving faster. Some moments not. I need to get used to that, to take that risk."

Though Nadal admitted that he was ready to accept his fate if anything wrong happened, he also said that he was more ready than before to take risks on the court.

"It's a moment to me that happen. If something wrong happens, we going to accept it. But that's the moment to push. I feel more ready to try it than before."

Nadal will play Hubert Hurkacz in the second round. This will be the first meeting between the two.