"Nadal at Golf > Djokovic on clay" - Tennis fans react to Rafael Nadal finishing in 5th place at the Balearic Golf Championship in Mallorca

Rafael Nadal's sporting interests know no bounds. A winner of most men's singles Grand Slam titles in history, the Spaniard is also an avid golfer and recently participated in the Balearic Golf Championship in Mallorca, where he finished fifth.

While anything short of first place would have probably disappointed Nadal, fifth place was a good accomplishment given that he does not play golf very often.

Tennis fans had some interesting reactions upon seeing the 40-year-old's golf exploits, with many flooding social media to express their thoughts.

"Nadal at Golf> Djokovic on clay," one fan wrote on Twitter.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion moved across the golf course using a cart, probably to avoid additional wear and tear on his left foot. He recently underwent a new form of treatment on his injured left foot to reduce the excruciating pain he carried throughout his 2022 French Open campaign.

The golf tournament served as a unique style of preparation for him ahead of the upcoming Wimbledon Championships.

"Nadal's preparation for Wimbledon: grass yes, but greens instead of a net. And the boy handles the club almost as well as the racquet. Out of 68 participants in the Balearic Golf Championship, Rafa finished 5th (translated)," one fan tweeted.

The Spaniard finished Day 1 of the two-day event in 4th place with a score of 76 and four shots off the pace of the leader on the day. However, the following day wasn't quite as good for him. With a final score of 154, he finished eight strokes behind the winning score of 146.

Meanwhile, one of his fans opined that he would be the 'G.O.A.T' in any sport he would have played.

Rafael Nadal set to play two matches before Wimbledon

Rafael Nadal at the 2019 Wimbledon Championships

Rafael Nadal did not participate in any of the ATP events in the build-up to Wimbledon. However, the Spaniard, who is expected to reach London on Monday, will participate in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club in London this week. He is likely to play two matches at the exhibition event before the start of Wimbledon on Monday, June 27.

The Mallorca native will play the Wimbledon Championships for the first time since 2019, when he reached the semifinals, eventually bowing out to Roger Federer in a four-set classic. He will be seeded second in the tournament this year.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is chasing the Calendar Grand Slam this season, having already won both the Majors played so far this season. He will aim for his first title at Wimbledon since 2010 and third overall.