Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal’s Priceless Act for Opponent Amid Crowd Hostility Screams of Quality Sportsmanship

While pulling off a robust comeback at the ongoing Barcelona Open, Rafael Nadal also proved that he is a class act. After his injury absence on the tour, the Spanish tennis star recently made a return on the Catalonian clay as he breezed past his Italian opponent, Flavio Cobolli, in straight sets. Aside from his brilliant victory, the tennis community also got to witness Nadal’s class gesture towards his first-round opponent.

Serving for the match point, the ‘King of the Clay’ was interrupted when someone in the crowd shouted ‘goodbye’ to Flavio Cobolli in Italian. The Spaniard then turned his attention towards that spectator before shaking his head in disapproval, as he didn’t want any level of disrespect towards his opponents. After showing his displeasure with the crowd at Torneo Conde de Godó, Nadal went on to win the match with a score of 6-2, 6-3.

A video clip of Nadal’s class act was recently brought to light on Twitter by the official page of The Tennis Letter. The social media post stated, “Rafa Nadal shaking his head at someone who shouted ‘goodbye’ to Flavio Cobolli in Italian during the match. He’s never been a fan of any level of disrespect towards his opponents. Always a class act. ”

This is not the first time that the 22-time singles Grand Slam champion has showcased his class with such gestures. Even when his arch-rival, Novak Djokovic, surpassed him in the major title tally, Rafa was quick to laud the Serb for his remarkable feat.

Rafael Nadal’s beautiful message to Novak Djokovic after his Grand Slam feat

Back in 2023, the Serbian player established himself at the top of the Grand Slam tally by winning his 23rd major title at the French Open. In doing so, Djokovic surpassed his Spanish rival, Nadal, who was not playing his favourite Grand Slam event owing to his injury woes. Rafa was quick to recognise Djokovic’s incredible achievement despite the disappointment of missing out on playing at the French Open and witnessing his fierce opponent surpass him in this record.

Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole
23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it!
Enjoy it with your family and team!

— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) June 11, 2023

While congratulating him on Twitter, Nadal hailed the ‘Djoker’ for pulling off an almost “impossible” feat on the men’s tour. He tweeted, “Many congrats on this amazing achievement @DjokerNole 23 is a number that just a few years back was imposible to think about, and you made it! Enjoy it with your family and team! ” What do you think of the Spanish tennis star showcasing his class on various occasions? Let us know in the comments section.

The post Barcelona Open: Rafael Nadal’s Priceless Act for Opponent Amid Crowd Hostility Screams of Quality Sportsmanship appeared first on EssentiallySports.