During his Greek vacation with his family, Rafael Nadal had a pleasant encounter with Manos Manolas, a coach from the Naxos Tennis Club.
Nadal, who has been on a layoff from the tour since suffering a hip injury at the 2023 Australian Open, has been enjoying his time away by vacationing in Greece with his wife and child.
While in Naxos, the 22-time Grand Slam champion ran into Manolas, who expressed his delight at the “unique” encounter as he recounted his experience of meeting the Spaniard.
“Unique moment… I told him that I am a tennis coach in Naxos and that it would be a great pleasure for us to take a picture! He immediately said yes,” he said.
After posing for a picture together, Manolas thanked the 37-year-old for his significant contributions to tennis, apparently eliciting an embarrassed reaction before the 22-time Grand Slam champion expressed his gratitude for Manolas’ words.
Manolas also invited Nadal to visit the Naxos Tennis Club on his next trip to the island.
“After we took his picture, I said thank you for what he has contributed to the sport we love, tennis. As if he was a little embarrassed…he smiled and bent down, he said thank you very much for what you said. I suggested that if he comes to Naxos again, he
