A great person as well as a great sportsman: Michelin star chef Davide Oldani on Rafael Nadal
After meeting Rafael Nadal, renowned chef Davide Oldani declared that the Spaniard was a great sportsman and a fantastic person.
Davide Oldani is one of the most well-known Italian chefs and a thought-provoking figure in the Italian culinary industry. He is also no stranger to the tennis community, having previously been seen in commercial videos alongside Roger Federer.
Oldani recently paid a visit to Rafa Nadal's academy in Mallorca, where he met the 22-time Grand Slam champion and enjoyed a pleasant conversation with the 26-year-old. The Italian called Nadal a great sportsman and added that meeting the Spaniard was a huge honor for him.
Oldani took to Instagram to share their moment with the fans.
"Today, I visited the @rafanadalacademy, a project of a great person as well as a great sportsman. The demonstration that when you "have a head", you have it in 360 degrees. Thank you for the welcome @rafaelnadal. A great honor for me." (Via Instagram translation)
Rafael Nadal won the first two Grand Slams of the year -- the Australian Open and the French Open. At the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, the Spaniard was looking forward towards taking one step closer to a Career Slam. However, his run was cut short as he suffered a seven millimeter abdominal muscle tear just before his semifinal clash against Nick Kyrgios and had to withdraw from SW19.
Since then, Nadal has been practicing on hardcourts at his academy in Mallorca in preparation for the approaching US summer tour as he gets ready to begin his campaign for a fifth US Open and a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam singles title. Additionally, he is registered to compete in this month's Montreal and Cincinnati Hardcourt Masters Series events.
rafa not going easy on his 18 year old cousin 😅 https://t.co/gsbpzXrS7h
A potential clash with Daniil Medvedev at Canadian Open lies ahead for Rafael Nadal
Tennis Canada revealed the top seeds for the National Bank Open in 2022 on Monday. The tournament's top seed and defending champion is World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. However, one player could potentially stand between him and his title -- Rafael Nadal.
Nadal is the second seed at this year's National Bank Open. He has won the Canadian Open trophy five times in his career, making this tournament one of his most successful, especially on hardcourts.
5-time champion Rafael Nadal will be the No. 2 seed this year! The last two times he came to Canada he won the title (2018, '19)
#NBO22 | @VIA_Rail https://t.co/xSPLdfFino
Nadal and Daniil Medvedev may cross paths for a third time this year as they are both top seeds and may meet in the final if they continue to progress through the draw.
The duo met earlier this year in the final match of the 2022 Australian Open, which lasted for more than five hours. After trailing by two sets in the five-set thriller, the Spaniard eventually prevailed to capture the record 21st Grand Slam title, going on to win 2-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.
They later faced off again in the semifinals of the Mexican Open, this time Rafael Nadal won in straight-sets. By doing so, the Spaniard improved in their head-to-head matchup to 5-1, and if both players manage to reach the National Bank Open final, they may soon see a seventh episode in their feud.