"This is our biggest drop yet" - NFL star Tom Brady on the Rafael Nadal NFT collection dropping on Autograph

Within a few days after beating Daniil Medvedev in the 2022 Australian Open final in what was one of the greatest tennis matches ever, Rafael Nadal took to social media to announce his collaboration with Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) platform Autograph.

Co-founded by American NFL legend Tom Brady, Autograph brings the biggest names in sports and entertainment closer to their most ardent fans by creating digital collections and experiences.

When Nadal lifted his 14th Roland Garros and 22nd Grand Slam title earlier this month in Paris, the Autograph and Draftkings decided to honor his grand achievement by launching El Rey: The Rafael Nadal Collection.

Brady posted a video on Twitter yesterday where he seemed thrilled about the launch of Nadal's collectibles later in the day.

"What's up, guys? I got big news today, my guy Rafa Nadal is dropping on Autograph this afternoon at 3 o'clock, so this is our biggest drop yet. The artwork is amazing. There's actually a physical racquet signed by Rafa that comes with this. Yours truly is going to be in the queue trying to pick this one up myself," Brady said.

There are two types of NFTs in the El Rey: The Rafael Nadal Collection. The first are the '22' collectibles and the second are the 2,800 Rafael Nadal: El Rey Mystery Containers. These containers include one of six trading cards, three embossed and three in color. The cards are called The Prodigy, The Master and The King.

Along with the Spaniard, Japan's Naomi Osaka is another tennis star who is associated with Autograph.

Rafael Nadal wins the first match he plays on grass since 2019

Rafael Nadal defeated Stan Wawrinka 6-2, 6-3.

Playing his first match on grass in three years, Nadal outclassed Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in straight sets in an exhibition match. The players faced each other in the Giorgio Armani Tennis Classic at the Hurlingham Club, where the Spaniard beat the Swiss 6-2, 6-3 in 61 minutes.

After winning the match, Nadal stated that it was good to have played the exhibition event to prepare for Wimbledon, which starts next wekk.

"It has been a while without playing on grass. Since 2019, I haven’t been able to play on grass through the tough moments we went through with the pandemic and last year I got injured. So I am excited to be back where we are today. It has always been a pleasure playing here in Hurlingham," Nadal said.

"I used to play at Queen’s a long time ago now. I am older now. I can’t manage to play so many matches. For me, it is perfect to play a couple of matches here before Wimbledon starts. That helps me to feel at least some competition before Wimbledon," he added.