Rafael Nadal's sister Maribel proudly reacts to Spaniard raising the Olympic flame during final moments of torch relay at opening ceremony in Paris
Rafael Nadal was part of a select group of athletes that carried the Olympic flame during Saturday's Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Games. Nadal's younger sister, Maria Isabel, also known as Maribel, later took to her Instagram to share a photo of the veteran raising the torch in the sky from the glittering event in Paris.
The Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympics was the first to take place outside a stadium. The Olympic flame was passed to Nadal by French football legend Zinedine Zidane during the final torch relay.
Mariabel shared a photo of her brother Rafael saluting the crowd, and wrote in the caption:
@rafaelnadal 🙌🏼🥹❤️
Maribel completed a master['s degree in sports management and currently works at the Rafa Nadal Academy dealing with the marketing aspects of the academy. She ventured into the fashion industry with the launch of her men's clothing brand, Crabs company. She is also regularly seen in Nadal's player's box during tournaments.
Nadal has won 2 Olympic gold medals in his career. The 22-time Grand Slam winner clinched his first gold in singles at the 2008 Beijing Olympics by defeating Fernando Gonzalez in the final. The Spaniard would go on to win his second gold at the 2016 Rio Games in the doubles competition. He teamed up with Marc Lopez to beat Horia Tecau and Florin Mergea in men's doubles.
The veteran will be competing in the men's singles as well as doubles in Paris. Nadal will be part of a formidable duo as he teams up with the 2024 Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz to represent Spain.
Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic poised to face each other in the second round of the Olympics
The tennis draw for the Olympics is out with the matches starting on Saturday, 27 July. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are poised to face each other in the second round of the men's singles should they both win their first matches.
The duo holds a combined total of 46 Grand Slams between them, and have faced each other 59 times, with Djokovic having the slightest advantage in their almost even head-to-head, at 30-29. Nadal, however, has a massive lead over Djokovic on clay, beating him 8 times out of 10 at Roland Garros.
The Serb will be facing Mathew Edben in the first round, while Nadal will compete against Marton Fucsovis of Hungary. If Nadal and Djokovic win their first-round games, they will set up a blockbuster second-round for the two titans' 60th meeting.