World No. 2 Rafael Nadal was also given a Springbok jersey during The Match in Africa. Nadal, 33, played a charity match against his old rival Roger Federer this past Friday in Cape Town. Just before the match started, South African rugby team captain Siya Kolisi presented Federer with a Springbok jersey on the court.
Many were left surprised and a bit angered after Nadal wasn’t presented a Springbok jersey on the court as well. However, the speculation of Nadal not receiving a Springbok jersey came to an end after Nadal was pictured in the locker room receiving a jersey from Kolisi.
Meanwhile, 19-time Grand Slam champion Nadal fell short of claiming a comeback win over Federer on Friday. Federer, a former world No. 1, beat Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-3 in a match which was organized by the Roger Federer Foundation.
The match raised $3,5 million and broke the record for the largest tennis crowd ever after 51,954 fans attended the clash.
What’s Next For Rafael Nadal After Australian Open?
The year 2020 is very crucial for Rafael Nadal. He finally has the opportunity to swerve the history books in his favour by leaping over Roger Federer’s grand slam record. All he needs to do is win two more grand slam titles.
The beginning of that endeavour has not proven to be very successful. He crashed out in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, losing out to Dominic Thiem.
In the immediate past, he lost the exhibition match in Cape Town to Roger Federer.
Let’s see where the Spaniard is heading next and whether or not he can turn things around.
Where Will Rafael Nadal Participate Now?
Rafa’s next challenge awaits him at the Acapulco Open from February 24 to 29. Rafa lost to his arch-rival Nick Kyrgios in the Round of 16 last year. This time, the field features stars like defending champion Nick Kyrgios, Alexander Zverev and Milos Raonic.
Post that, Rafa will be seen at an exhibition match held for the Rafa Nadal foundation. The match will be held in Atlanta where Nadal is all set to face the Bulgarian star Grigor Dimitrov.
Let’s have a look at his tentative schedule post this.
March
-Indian Wells, USA (March 12-22): Lost to Roger Federer in the semi finals last year
– Miami Open, USA (March 25-April 5): Missed last year due to knee injury
April
– Monte Carlo Masters (April 12-19): Lost to Fabio Fognini in the semi-finals last year
– Barcelona Open (April 20-26): Lost to Dominic Thiem in the semi finals last year
May
– Madrid Open (May 3-10): Lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-finals last year
– Italian Open (May 10-17): Defending champion, defeated Novak Djokovic in the finals.
– Roland Garros (May 24-June7): Defending champion, defeated Novak Djokovic in the finals
June
– Wimbledon (June 29-July 12): Lost to Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
July
– Olympics (July 15-August 2)
August
– Canadian Open (August 10-16): Defending champion, defeated Daniil Medvedev in the finals
– Cincinnati Masters (August 16-23): Missed last year due to fatigue
– US Open (August 31- September 13): Defending champion, defeated Daniil Medvedev in the finals
November
– Paris Masters (November 2-8): Lost to Denis Shapovalov in the semi-finals
– ATP Tour Finals (November 15-22): Eliminated in the group stage
