Rafael Nadal hosts fellow Spanish great Pau Gasol at his Academy, thanks him for the special visit

Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol share a great bond.

Rafael Nadal hosts fellow Spanish great Pau Gasol at his Academy, thanks him for the special visit

Rafael Nadal and Pau Gasol at the Rafael Nadal Academy (Image via Rafael Nadal Instagram)

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal hosted another Spanish sporting legend, Pau Gasol at his Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Gasol, who is one of the best to have played the game of basketball for Spain, met with his long-time friend at Nadal’s academy. The two also posed for a picture together which was shared by Nadal on his social media handles. 

While the purpose for Gasol’s visit is not known, it can be said that something is brewing between the two individuals. Gasol and Nadal had met a month back in Madrid and the tennis ace had termed it a special meeting for a special cause. “Amazing morning with my friend @paugasol for an special reason,” Nadal had written in the caption. 

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Now, when the two met, Nadal once again shared a picture and thanked Gasol for gracing the academy with his presence. “Hola, thanks for coming, As always a pleasure to be with you and have you among us,” Nadal captioned the post which had their picture.

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It is worth mentioning that the two athletes share a great bond. While Nadal has regarded Gasol a legend, the former LA Lakers star has shown faith in Nadal to make a memorable comeback. “Rafa is very excited to come back and enjoy the next season and finish his career in the best possible way after so many years. I see him with desire, working to continue to give war and new joys,” the basketball legend said. (H/T: Marca)

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When is Rafael Nadal coming back?

While it seemed almost certain that Rafael Nadal will return to the tour with the next year’s first Grand Slam event, 2024 Australian Open, the Spaniard played down the talks saying he himself is not certain about his comeback. Nadal and his team said that they have not yet zeroed on a date yet. 

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Rafael Nadal (Image via Tennis 365)

Meanwhile, Alex Corretja has set a timeframe for Nadal’s comeback. The Spaniard has claimed that the 22-time Grand Slam winner will be able to make a final decision only by mid-December.  “When Rafa said, well, I’m happy to see that you give me this trust, then I realized that this is going to go little by little and I hope he announces his return,” the retired tennis pro told Eurosport.

“But I don’t expect it before mid-December, perhaps because that would be the moment in which I think he will know if he is ready to start the season in Australia or not. But if he does it before, it would be fantastic. We are desperately waiting for Rafa.”

Notably, Rafael Nadal has not played any form of tennis since his second-round exit from the 2023 Australian Open. The 37-year-old has undergone surgeries and is still in rehabilitation. Although Nadal has started training and practicing on the court, he does not look fully fit to compete at the highest level.

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