Entertainment
Rafael Nadal gets into the Ibiza spirit while recovering from injury that forced him out of Wimbledon-Robert Oliver-Entertainment – Metro
Despite the setback, he looked to be having a good time.
Rafael Nadal having fun with friends in the Ibiza sunshine (Picture: Splash News)
Tennis star Rafael Nadal looked in good spirits while holidaying with friends in Ibiza just a week after pulling out of the Wimbledon semi-final.
Nadal, 36, missed the crunch match against eventual runner-up Nick Kyrgios due to an abdominal injury, handing Kyrgios a walkover into the final.
He picked up the injury during his quarter-final clash against number 11 seed Taylor Fritz – a match that went the distance, as Nadal won a fifth set tie-break.
However, it’s clear from new pictures that Nadal hasn’t let the injury dampen his spirits much, as he took to the beaches of the famous Mediterranean island.
Nadal was spotted jumping off a boat onto his friend’s back who carried the tennis ace to shore, avoiding getting his shoes soaked.
The Spanish tennis star, who has won a record-breaking 22 Grand Slam titles over the course of his career, was spotted in a navy blue T-shirt and navy swim shorts.
The tennis ace leapt onto his mate’s back from the boat (Picture: GTres / SplashNews.com)
Nadal on holiday with his friends in Ibiza after Wimbledon withdrawal (Picture: GTres/SplashNews.com)
He then joined up with two more of his friends as the four pals arrived on shore.
Nadal was on track to win all four Grand Slams in 2022, after his victories at the Australian Open and the French Open, but was unable to continue at Wimbledon.
He had looked to be hitting top form, breezing through his 3rd and 4th round matches in straight sets.
But complications looked to be affecting him during the quarter-final, and he decided to pull out a day later after the abdominal injury worsened.
Rafael Nadal wthdrew from Wimbledon due to an abdominal injury (Credits: AP)
At a press conference, Nadal said: ‘Unfortunately, as you can imagine, I am here because I have to pull out from the tournament.
‘As everyone saw yesterday I have been suffering with a pain in the abdominal [muscle] and something was not okay there. That is confirmed.’
Fans watching the quarter-final match between Nadal and Fritz noticed his father, Sebastian, imploring his son to stop playing.
More: Trending
Despite his dad’s protests, Nadal carried on to win the match, but found himself unable to face Kyrgios in the semi-final.
During that semi-final, a drunken fan was heard to be heckling the Australian, who described her as looking like she’d ‘had about 700 drinks’.
Speaking to the umpire, Kyrgios claimed the woman was ‘talking to [him] in the middle of the [game]’ during the third set.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : Nick Kyrgios’ tactics ripped apart by Rafael Nadal’s uncle in brutal analysis
MORE : Novak Djokovic is the GOAT but won’t ever be loved like Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal
Entertainment – MetroRead More
