Rafael Nadal resumes training at his academy in Mallorca

The legendary Rafael Nadal will look to get back to full swing and add to his Grand Slam tally of 19 as he resumes training at his Mallorca Academy

World Number 2 Rafael Nadal has resumed full-fledged on-court training for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic spread all over the world. Nadal hit the practice court at his famed Mallorca academy on Friday as Spain continues to ease COVID-19 lockdown restrictions following a drop in daily positive cases.

Rafael Nadal in an Instagram live interaction late last month with arch-rival and World No. 4 Roger Federer had remarked that he hadn't touched a tennis racquet in over a month. But now with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic also have resumed training in Marbella, Nadal wasn't to be left behind.

The legendary southpaw got into his groove hitting balls at his famed Mallorca Tennis Academy. Nadal posted a picture on Instagram with the caption - "Here I am, the first pictures I am posting for you on court. This is my practice earlier today at @rafanadalacademy"

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Here I am, the first pictures I am posting for you on court. This is my practice earlier today at @rafanadalacademy #BackOnCourt #BabolatFamily 👍🏻💪🏻 😉🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾

A post shared by Rafa Nadal (@rafaelnadal) on May 22, 2020 at 6:39am PDT

Rafael Nadal's Olympics doubles partner Marc Lopez among the first to react

Rafael Nadal's doubles partner at the 2012 London Olympics - Marc Lopez - was among the first to react to the post. The 37-year old doubles veteran complimented Nadal for his grip and volley technique.

Within minutes of the post going up, ardent fans of Rafael Nadal from all over the world expressed their joy and flooded the comments section with words of encouragement. The Spaniard, who had earlier voiced skepticism about the prospect of having any sort of tennis in 2020, will be relieved at being able to resume his training regimen.

Nadal had quite a bit of off-court fun during the grueling phase of the lockdown. From trying his hand at cooking to giving fans a virtual treat with his Instagram live interactions (his guests included Roger Federer and Andy Murray), Nadal was all over social media.

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Now that everyone is talking about his cooking skills. Let's look back at this @nike video of Rafa cooking at the #RafaNadalAcademy. Do you want to know the recipe? Check it out and now is your turn to start cooking! 📍Pasta 1. Fill a pot with water and set on stove to boil. 2. Once boiling, add in a handful of pasta and a drizzle of olive oil. 3. Cook until al dente (approximately 6-8 minutes) 4. Drain water 👉🏻 Vegetables and Shrimp 5. Place skillet on stove top, set burner to medium-high, and drizzle olive oil into skillet 6. Chop up mushrooms and zucchini into bitesize pieces 7. Mince garlic 8. When skillet is warm, toss in garlic and sauté until fragrant 9. Add in mushrooms and zucchini and stir to cook. 10. Peel prawns, toss into skillet, and stir. 11. Add chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste 12. Once cooked through, toss with pasta, serve, and enjoy. VAMOS! 🎥: @nikecourt #RafaNadalAcademyByMovistar

A post shared by Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rafanadalacademy) on Apr 23, 2020 at 12:49pm PDT

Rafael Nadal helps raise funds for coronavirus relief work

rt from the fun stuff, Rafael Nadal also teamed up with his countryman and good friend - NBA star Pau Gasol - to raise $12.1 million USD for coronavirus relief work in Spain.

With the prospect of a closed door French Open very much on the cards, the legendary Spaniard will surely have his eyes set on lifting the La Coupe des Mousquetaires for a record-extending 13th time. If he does indeed accomplish that feat, he will also draw level with his great rival Roger Federer on the all-time Slam leaderboard.

Though we may not get to watch and hear his legion of fans chant "Vamos Rafa, Vamos Rafa...." in stadiums anytime soon due to precautionary measures, we can surely expect the great man to enthrall us with high quality tennis once the ATP tour resumes.