"Who is the best Rafa in the sport? Rafael Nadal, come here" - UFC star Rafael Fiziev challenges 22-time Grand Slam champion
Tennis superstar Rafael Nadal had an unceremonious end to his Wimbledon charge this year as he had to concede a walkover to Nick Kyrgios in the semifinals. The Spaniard suffered an abdominal injury and could not make it to the court for the semifinals.
While there has been a massive outpouring of praise and applause for Nadal's ability to come through his quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz despite the injury, Azerbaijani mixed martial artist Rafael Fiziev has challenged the Spaniard, asking "who is the best Rafa in the sport."
"Now I want to make a new challenge who is the best Rafa in the sport. Rafael Nadal, come here, come here," Fiziev said.
Rafael Fiziev and Rafael dos Anjos made up the headline act in the UFC lightweight division as the former emerged victorious on the night. Speaking in his post-fight interview, the Azerbaijani lightweight fighter challenged the 22-time Grand Slam champion since they share the same maiden name.
Rafael Nadal
#UFCVegas58 https://t.co/dLnjyYEL8c
This is not the first time a UFC fighter has called out athletes from other sports. Former UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington called NBA superstar LeBron James a "spineless coward" in 2020.
It is highly unlikely that Rafael Nadal will respond to the gauntlet thrown down by Rafael Fiziev. The Spaniard has a much bigger fish to fry as he looks to regain fitness ahead of the US Open later this year.
Rafael Nadal's uncertain return to action
The last time Rafael Nadal had an abdominal tear was in the 2009 US Open semifinal against Juan Martin del Potro. The Spaniard did not return to action until the ATP Finals, which was held three months after the conclusion of the US Major.
Even upon his return, Nadal looked far from his best as he lost all three of his group stage matches and crashed out of the tournament much earlier than expected.
Fond farewells with @RafaelNadal 😊
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The Spaniard's recovery from his current abdominal injury could be of a similar timeline. If so, the 22-time Grand Slam champion will miss the US Open as well as the Laver Cup. This could mean that the final Major of the year will be without the Big 3 of Novak Djokovic, Nadal and Roger Federer.
Fans of the Spaniard will keep their fingers crossed that he can recover in time for the US Open, a tournament he has won four times in the past (2010, 2013, 2017 and 2019).