Watch: Throwback ad featuring Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo playing a half-tennis, half-soccer match
Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo are often listed amongst the greatest athletes in their respective sports and the duo command huge followings across the globe.
Another thing the duo have in common is their sponsor Nike. In a 2012 commercial for the sporting giant's Mercurial football boots, the brand decided to pit Ronaldo against Nadal on a tennis court. The only catch being that the former had no racket, instead showcasing his soccer skills and incredible dexterity to fend off the Spaniard's ball stricking.
Don’t miss this old Nike ad feat Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo 🔥
A face off where they play a half-tennis and a half-soccer match! 👏 https://t.co/Io356NLQ20
The one-and-a-half minute commercial made its way to Twitter recently, with CNBC TV 18's Nigel D'Souza uploading the full video on his official handle. The masterfully edited commercial took fans back to a whole different era and was an instant hit. It has been viewed over 10,000 times since making its way onto Twitter.
"Don’t miss this old Nike ad feat Rafael Nadal and Cristiano Ronaldo. A face off where they play a half-tennis and a half-soccer match!" the Twitter post read.
The commercial, which was released ahead of the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, fittingly features a grass court. However, it was both Nadal and Ronaldo's impressive athletic skills that stole the show.
The commercial even features Nadal showing off his soccer skills, with Ronaldo looking on appreciatively from the other end of the court.
Rafael Nadal honored as Esquire's 2022 Man of the Year
Rafael Nadal has a season to remember in 2022, winning the Australian Open and the French Open to take his Slam tally to 22. With that, the Spaniard took the lead in the Slam race for the first time in his career, finishing the year one ahead of Novak Djokovic's tally of 21.
For his efforts, Nadal was honored as the Man of the Year by Esquire Magazine, claiming that the 36-year-old's "embodiment of the best values" on and off the track made him the ideal candidate for the award.
“For being, without a doubt, the embodiment of the best values that anyone would like to find, on and off the track. For having aroused the unanimous admiration of all and for demonstrating that effort, respect and humility are capable of moving mountains. Even when it seems like everything is against you. For being a renaissance master. Of sports revivals, over and over again. The 2022 Esquire Man of the Year grand prize goes to Rafael Nadal,” Esquire stated.