"I have enormous admiration for him as an athlete and even more as a player" – Gabriela Sabatini after her dream-come-true match alongside Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal teamed up with Gabriela Sabatini as part of his exhibition tour in Argentina, much to the delight of the 1990 US Open champion, who shared her joy on social media.

Nadal took to the court alongside Sabatini while Casper Ruud, who accompanied the Spaniard to Buenos Aires, partnered with Gisela Dulko in the mixed doubles encounter.

Watch the highlights below:

The 52-year-old Argentinian expressed her admiration for the Spaniard while also describing the experience of facing Casper Ruud as "something incredible."

"Unforgettable night, being next to @RafaelNadal was a dream, I have enormous admiration for him as an athlete and even more as a person. Having @CasperRuud98 face to face was something incredible and sharing all this with #GiselaDulko was wonderful."

Sabatini also stressed that playing in front of her home crowd was "one of the most beautiful things" that she could experience and thanked everyone involved in making the event a success.

"Playing in front of my people is one of the most beautiful things I can experience, thank you for so much love always! Thanks to #SummaSports for accompanying me and taking care of me, to @fenix_latam for making this possible. For many more moments like this @AA Tennis"

Sabatini had earlier requested Rafael Nadal to play a mixed doubles match as part of his exhibition tour so she could return to the court in front of Argentinian fans.

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"2023 will be just to have the right preparation" – Rafael Nadal looks ahead to 2023 after an incredible season

Nitto ATP Finals - Day Five

Rafael Nadal began the 2022 season in stupendous fashion by winning the Australian Open en route to a 20-match winning streak before losing in the final of the Indian Wells Open to Taylor Fritz.

After overcoming pain and injury, the Mallorcan reigned supreme at Roland Garros for a record-extending 14th time. He veered ahead of his rivals by bagging his 22nd Grand Slam title.

Rafael Nadal battled past Taylor Fritz in the Wimbledon quarterfinals but withdrew from the tournament following a torn abdominal muscle. Frances Tiafoe proved to be too good for the 36-year-old in the fourth round of the US Open, but Nadal still ended the season as World No.2.

After beating Casper Ruud in his final match of the ATP Finals, the former World No.1 stated that he wished to begin the upcoming season with the right energy and attitude.

"2023 will be just to have the right preparation, work the proper way and then start the season with the right energy, attitude and reach the level I need to be to be competitive from the beginning. Lets try. I am excited about it," Nadal told Amazon Prime Video after his ATP Finals clash against Casper Ruud.