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Defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal is gearing up to make his return to the ATP tour next month. The World No. 2 has not played a single match since the start of the COVID-19 break, but he has been fairly active at his academy.
While training at the Rafa Nadal Academy, the Spanish player has worked on several new programs and has interacted with many students. But recently, he was caught in a fan meeting that left him decidedly uncomfortable.
A video from his academy's gym section has gone viral on social media, where Rafael Nadal is posing with one of his female fans. While the fan looked extremely confident standing beside her idol, Nadal seemingly didn't know how to react in the moment.
His sheepish but innocent smile was captured perfectly in the three-second video, which is now warming the hearts of netizens. The entire sequence looks quite hilarious, with the young lady trying out various poses and Rafael Nadal looking like an awkward fish out of water.
The video, shared by a user on Twitter, has received over 50,000 views so far while also gaining almost 2,000 likes and 650 retweets.
The person shooting the video can be heard instructing Rafael Nadal and the young lady to 'smile and nod.' However, the two-time Wimbledon champion seemed too tired to understand what was happening.
Many social media users have already labeled this clip as their favorite GIF featuring Rafael Nadal.
Rafael Nadal present on the entry list of Rome Masters
Rafael Nadal had won the US Open in 2019, but he has pulled out of the 2020 edition of the tournament. The Spaniard doesn't consider it safe to travel to New York amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and so has decided to skip the hardcourt season entirely.
The 34-year-old from Mallorca has been practicing on clay all this while, at the Rafa Nadal Academy. His name is on the entry list of the Rome Masters tourney, along with those of Novak Djokovic, Dominic Thiem, Alexander Zverev and a host of other top players.
Rafael Nadal has also qualified for the 2020 ATP Finals, along with Novak Djokovic and Dominic Thiem. London will host the tournament in November, and just like the US Open, the year-end competition will take place behind closed doors.
Nadal will be keen to make a winning return to the ATP tour in Rome and then continue the momentum in France and the United Kingdom. The Rome Masters will commence from 14 September.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
