"If people who know about this say we need to be vaccinated, who am I to create a different opinion?" - Rafael Nadal on vaccinations

Rafael Nadal has admitted that he has no clear position on vaccines and that he will follow the instructions of health organizations, as they're the ones with knowledge about the subject.

Currently in Abu Dhabi for the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship, the Spaniard was asked about the raging debate over vaccines. The Spaniard said that if experts feel like vaccination is the way forward, he will not to argue against them.

"I am not with or without, I am just following what the organization of health says. I don’t pretend to know more than the authorized people say. If the people who really know about this say that we need to be vaccinated, who am I to create a different opinion," Nadal said.

Nadal has previously criticized people who weren't willing to take the jab, labeling them as "selfish." He had also stated that the only way to end the nightmare of the pandemic was by getting vaccinated.

"The only way out of this nightmare is vaccination. Our responsibility as human beings is to accept it. I know there is a percentage of people who will suffer from side effects, but the effects of the virus are worse," Nadal had said in April.

Rafael Nadal's comeback starts on a disappointing note

Rafael Nadal at the 2021 Citi Open.

Rafael Nadal's hotly anticipated comeback got off to a disappointing start as he lost to long-time rival Andy Murray in the semifinals of the 2021 Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Nadal, making his return from a foot injury that sidelined him for most of the 2021 season, succumbed to the Brit in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5.

The Spaniard fought hard and his movement looked good, which bodes well for his prospects next year.

Nadal's campaign in Abu Dhabi isn't over yet, though, as he is slated to play one more match. The Spaniard will face off against Denis Shapovalov in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

Nadal leads the head-to-head against the young Canadian 3-1 and won their most recent encounter, at this year's Italian Open 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3).

Following the exhibition event, the Spaniard will kick off his 2022 season by playing in the ATP 250 event in Melbourne.