Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem lead chorus of tennis stars wishing fans Merry Christmas

Amid the doom and gloom of the COVID-19 pandemic, Christmas has brought a reason to smile and spread cheer. As the world celebrates the birth of Christ on December 25, athletes used social media to extend Christmas greetings to their fans.

Several top tennis players took to Twitter and Instagram to wish their followers. Leading the chorus of stars was none other than Rafael Nadal.

The Spaniard is currently in isolation after having tested positive for COVID-19 on his return from Abu Dhabi, where he participated in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

But that didn't deter the 35-year-old from spreading some much-needed positivity in what has been a "difficult year."

2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem posted three photos with his brother, Moritz Thiem, and his dog, Elon. The Austrian, who had a six-month injury layoff, has returned home after a training stint in Dubai.

World No. 9 Hubert Hurkacz, who reached the Wimbledon semifinals this year, also sent his Christmas greetings.

The eighth-ranked Casper Ruud posted a photo of himself with his girlfriend, Maria Galligani, and their dog beside their beautifully-decorated Christmas tree.

Karolina Pliskova, Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza join in Christmas celebrations

World No. 4 Karolina Pliskova recently announced her withdrawal from the Australian swing due to a hand injury she suffered in training. But nothing couldn't dampen the Czech's spirits during Christmas and she posted a couple of photos from her celebrations at home.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber, who made the last four at Wimbledon this year, also joined the chorus of stars in sending their best wishes.

Two-time Grand Slam champions Garbine Muguruza and Simona Halep also shared their festive experiences.

World No. 15 Elina Svitolina took to Instagram to extend her Christmas greetings.

Former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and her husband Bastian Schweinsteiger jointly wished their fans on Instagram.

About the author

Sudeshna is a veteran Indian Sports and International Tennis journalist as well as editor at Sportskeeda. She has an overall experience of over 10 years with top publications like The Bridge, Fox Sports Asia, and gained a keen interest in Indian sports since the 2002 Commonwealth and Asian Games when she was in school.

Sudeshna holds a Master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. She attends tournaments regularly and being a highly experienced journalist, she ensures she only contacts the correct people from her network for the most authentic information to be put in her articles.

Sudeshna’s favorite Indian athlete is PV Sindhu owing to her big-tournament performances. She also admires Tennis legend Rafael Nadal for his resilience and has witnessed the Spaniard in action at the French Open, due to which, Roland Garros is her all-time favorite Grand Slam tournament.

Neeraj Chopra’s gold medal win at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics made a lasting impact on Sudeshna. She has also interviewed him along with Badminton star Chirag Shetty and several other sports personalities. She has done on-ground reporting on multiple ITF tournaments along with the Premier Badminton League, Asian Boxing Championships and the Davis Cup.

When not using her skills and years of experience in crafting compelling content, Sudeshna likes to read, watch movies and travel.

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