WATCH: Rafael Nadal Apologizes After He Refuses to Give Autographs to Fans in Melbourne

Published 01/04/2022, 10:33 PM EST

The Australian Summer of Tennis is finally underway, and fans of tennis couldn’t be more grateful. Fan-favorite stars like Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka, and now, even Novak Djokovic have made their way to Australia to bring in the new season.

However, the Australian Open and the warm-up tournaments that precede it have been marred in speculation around the pandemic. In fact, with an increasing number of cases all over the world again, many players, too, have fallen sick.

Rafael Nadal Announces Surprising Move Ahead of Australian Open 2022 Quest

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Moreover, Rafael Nadal himself fell ill from the virus after his exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi a few weeks ago.

Rafael Nadal refuses to sign autographs for fans

Even though he has recovered, Nadal is now going the extra mile to ensure prevention. The 20-time Grand Slam champion is extremely careful in following hygiene and sanitary rules.

After his training on the courts during the Melbourne Summer Set, Rafael Nadal refused to sign autographs. Furthermore, he also apologized to the fans for not being able to do so.

“I’m sorry guys, I will not be signing,” Nadal says as he refrains from holding any pens from fans. The video even shows a fan understanding the situation. “That’s okay, thank you Rafa!” she says, after Nadal explains his predicament.

While many players sometimes refuse to sign autographs even when situations regarding health aren’t in the picture, Nadal stands apart with his class.

Pendant qu’il y en a qui passe entre les piquouzes, Rafa Nadal s’excuse platement de ne pas pouvoir signer des autographes après son entraînement sur les courts de l’open d’Australie à cause des règles sanitaires.
C’est ça la classe. pic.twitter.com/mQih9VMeEZ
— Benoit Maylin (@BenoitMaylin) January 4, 2022

Clearly, the 35-year-old star recognizes how long it has been since fans saw big tennis stars. Nevertheless, he sticks to the rules.

Rafa wins his first competitive match on tour

In the round of 32 in Melbourne, Rafael Nadal won his doubles match alongside compatriot Jaume Munar. The two Spaniards faced Argentinians Tomas Etcheverry and Sebastian Baez.

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Make way for Don Rafa Nadal & Munar 🇪🇸🇪🇸🔥🔥🖤🖤 pic.twitter.com/1n5ewN37cK
— Erlita ⭐️®️⭐️ (@Rafaerl_ita) January 4, 2022

Nadal and Munar won the contest in three sets, going 6-3, 3-6, 10-4 to advance to the round of 16. Thus, they will now meet Andrey Golubev and Franko Skugor in their next match.

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On the other hand, Rafa is yet to play his first singles match, which will be against aginst Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis in the men’s round of 16. How far do you think Rafael Nadal will be able to go this Australian Open?

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Written by:

Samarveer Singh is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. Holding a degree in English Literature and a diploma in Fitness Sciences and Training, Samarveer is obsessed with tennis and basketball. He is also an automotive writer at HotCars.

WATCH: Rafael Nadal Apologizes After He Refuses to Give Autographs to Fans in Melbourne

Rafael Nadal refuses to sign autographs for fans

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Rafa wins his first competitive match on tour