Watch: Rafael Nadal shows off fancy footwork with whopping 53 keepy uppies
Rafael Nadal has captivated fans all over the world with his incredible racquet skills, but the Spaniard recently showed that he's capable of entertaining even with the ball at his feet.
Renowned tennis broadcaster Tennis Channel International recently uploaded a video of Rafael Nadal juggling a tennis ball with his feet. The Spaniard managed to keep the ball alive and juggle it a whopping 53 times before finally losing control.
Kick-ups, commonly known as keepie uppies, are basically an act of juggling a ball (mainly a football) as many times as possible without letting it touch the ground.
Nadal not only used his feet, but also his shoulder and thigh to brilliant effect to keep the ball alive. The Spaniard's coordination, as well as lightning-quick reflexes, were on full display throughout the 53 times he juggled the tennis ball.
The 20-time Major champion's fantastic footwork is not a surprise given he excelled at football as a kid.
In the video, Nadal is seen sporting the jersey of his local football club RCD Mallorca. The back of the jersey sports the Mallorcan's name and has the number 20 printed under it, possibly a shout out to the number of Major titles the 35-year-old owns.
The video was most likely filmed before Nadal departed for Washington to play in the Citi Open as the courts appear to be those of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor.
Rafael Nadal to feature in the National Bank Open
Rafael Nadal's 2021 Citi Open campaign came to an end on Thursday with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 loss to Lloyd Harris in the third round.
Nadal's next tournament will be in Toronto, where he will defend his title in the National Bank Open. The Spaniard, a five-time champion at the Masters 1000 event, confirmed his participation after his loss to Harris in Washington.
“For me [the important thing] is just [to] keep going. Accept the challenge that I need to keep working, and I’ll probably have another chance next week in Toronto,” Nadal said. “I’m going to keep trying my best.”
The Spaniard will be highly motivated to do well in Toronto, as he has the chance to move past Novak Djokovic's tally of 36 Masters 1000 titles. The Serb is currently recuperating following his exploits in Tokyo and will not feature in Toronto.
The National Bank Open is scheduled to begin on 9 August and will see Daniil Medvedev leading the field as the top seed, followed by Rafael Nadal and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Milos Raonic, Alexander Zverev, Roger Federer, Matteo Berrettini, and Pablo Carreno Busta have withdrawn from the Toronto-based event.