"The athlete who has always been a benchmark for me" - Famous social media influencer Gemma Gallardo recalls meeting Rafael Nadal at his academy
Rafael Nadal is an inspiration to many and leading social media influencer Gemma Gallardo seems to be a huge fan of the Spanish tennis legend. The famous model recently revealed her admiration for the Spaniard and recalled her first meeting with him.
Gallardo met the 22-time Grand Slam champion at his academy in Mallorca and opened up on the experience of meeting the athlete "who has always been a benchmark" for her. The e-gamer, who also has a big following on Twitch, lauded the hospitality and the facilities she received at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
"It is a crime that this has not yet been told but... I was at the Rafael Nadal Academy and I had the honor of being able to meet in person the athlete who has always been a benchmark for me," Gemma Gallardo said in a post on Twitter. "They treated me great and the facilities are INSANE!" she added.
Tiene delito que esto aún no lo haya contado pero… Estuve en la Rafael Nadal Academy y tuve el honor de poder conocer en persona al deportista que para mí siempre ha sido un referente🥹
Me trataron genial y las instalaciones son una LOCURA! @RafaelNadal https://t.co/xeYJDH7Sag
The state-of-the-art Rafa Nadal Academy has found many admirers over the last few years since it opened in 2016. Certain top players from both the men's and women's circuits have spent days training at the facility and continue to do so. Among other celebrities, golf legend Tiger Woods most recently visited the academy in the Spanish great's hometown of Manacor, Mallorca.
The 14-time French Open champion himself has been training at the academy over the last few days to get ready for the upcoming American hardcourt swing. He was expected to participate in this week's Canadian Open but his extended injury issue forced him to withdraw from the tournament in Montreal.
The Spaniard stated that he did not want to rush into his comeback after suffering an abdominal tear back at the Wimbledon Championships. However, he is expected to play in the Cincinnati Open next week, ahead of the 2022 US Open. Having the least number of points to defend before the end of the season, the 36-year-old is a favorite to end the year as No. 1.
Hope to see @RafaelNadal back in action soon! 🙏 https://t.co/0noV1qNiGa
"It's a bit of help for sure" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on Rafael Nadal's absence from the Canadian Open
Returning after a six-month layoff to start the 2022 season, Rafael Nadal has had one of his best seasons so far on tour. He started the year with a 20-match winning streak, which included the Melbourne Summer Set, Australian Open, and Acapulco Open titles. He also won the French Open in May and has the joint-most titles (4) this season alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Now, as he is set to miss the crucial Masters 1000 event in the build-up to the US Open, one of his rivals in Stefanos Tsitsipas is a bit relieved by his absence.
"I wouldn't say it's good or bad [news], but it helps. [Nadal] has way too many titles. We do miss him, but it's a bit of help for sure," Tsitsipas said ahead of the tournament when asked of the Spaniard's withdrawal.
His withdrawal means that the Canadian Open is set to miss all members of the 'Big 3' for the second consecutive year, with Novak Djokovic also withdrawing and Roger Federer still out due to injury. Current World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev leads the field, while Carlos Alcaraz will be seeded second in World No. 2 Alexander Zverev's absence.