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Casper Ruud met Rafael Nadal in Mallorca ahead of their trip together to Argentina for the South American exhibition tennis tour. Nadal and Ruud, the ATP World No. 2 and 3, respectively, seemed in good spirits, expressing their excitement for the tour.
Ruud's season ended on Sunday with a loss to Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2022 ATP Finals in Turin. He met Spaniard Nadal in Palma on Monday before flying with him to Argentina. Meanwhile, the Spaniard himself had a couple of days off before traveling for the exhibition tour after he bowed out of the ATP Finals group stage last Thursday. Incidentally, he beat Ruud in the last match of his season. He used the time off to stay in a competitive mood, participating in a golf tournament in Palma over the weekend.
Both players took to social media to signal the start of their trip to Latin America.
"On our way! Excited to be heading to Latin America with @rafaelnadal. See you soon, Argentina," Casper Ruud wrote on Instagram.
"Now we're on our way. See you soon Argentina," Nadal expressed on Instagram.
Despite a demanding season that concluded with an intense week at the ATP Finals, Ruud is excited to join his idol for the Latin American tour. Speaking after his ATP Finals campaign, the Norwegian said that he felt honored to be invited by the 22-time Grand Slam champion to join him on the exhibition tour.
"It's something that I was honored to be invited to the Latin American tour with Rafa," Ruud said in a press conference at the ATP Finals.
"I'm not going to say it's going to be very demanding. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. Let's see when I get back. I still will have many days to recover from the jet lag and whatever," he added.
Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud's match schedule for the South American exhibition tour
Rafael Nadal and Casper Ruud will kickstart their tennis tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, November 23, before traveling to Santiago, Chile, for Day 2 of the exhibition tour on Friday, November 25. The tour then moves on to Bogota, Colombia, on November 26, and Quito, Ecuador, on Sunday, November 27. The penultimate day of the tour will be held in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Tuesday, November 29, before it ends on Thursday, December 1 in Mexico City.
Former players Gabriela Sabatini and Gisela Dulko will also join them for a section of the tour as the quartet will participate in mixed doubles matches.
The Spaniard and the Norwegian were both among the most accomplished players on the men's tour this season. They also faced each other in the French Open final, which the Spaniard won for his 14th title at Roland Garros.
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