Rafael Nadal declined rare invitation with Queen Elizabeth II

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Jul 2022 15:23

After the Queen of England sent tennis star Rafael Nadal a rare lunchtime invitation, the tennis player refused not out of disrespect but rather in order to focus on the pre-match.

Rafael Nadal declined a rare invitation from the Queen Elizabeth II

Rafael Nadal, the renowned tennis star, had to make some sacrifices to achieve professional success, including declining a rare invitation from Queen Elizabeth II. Nadal currently ranks 4th in the world and thus has earned his place in tennis’ hall of fame.

At the Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday, Rafael Nadal defeated Taylor Fritz of the United States to advance to the semifinals. Two days prior, the Spaniard defeated Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands. He will now play Australian Nick Kyrgios in the semi-finals, putting him one step closer to his third Wimbledon victory and 23rd major men's singles title.

Nadal had not taken part in the SW19 tournament since 2019 due to a recurring foot injury that he received special treatment for before participating in this year’s Wimbledon.

The star admitted to turning down an opportunity to meet the Queen in 2010 because he wanted to focus on his Wimbledon second-round match. He was invited to spend time with the Monarch during her rare visit to the All England Club.

Despite being offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Nadal decided it was too risky to disrupt his pre-match routine before a battle with Holland's Robin Haase. At the time, Nadal said that "It was disappointing for me but the Wimbledon club knows I have my routines before the match,” adding that "I knew it was going to be a very difficult match. I had to practice around then, so it was impossible for me [to meet the Queen].”

The tennis star said that he has his routines before any match, and the upcoming one was particularly a difficult one, especially since it is not clear exactly when you are going to play. Nadal had hoped that the Queen would stay to see his match, but the Sovereign, left after seeing Andy Murray, of Great Britain, win.

He said, according to the Express, "Seriously, I thought the Queen was going to be at my match and I would love to have the chance to meet her after the match. But it wasn't possible because I think the Queen left before,” adding that "For me it was disappointing. I was excited to meet her but it was a very important match for me too."

He advanced to the finals by defeating Andy Murray and earned a spot in the semi-finals by winning his match against the Swedish player Robin Söderling in the quarterfinals.

Days later, Nadal overcame the Czech Republic's Tomá Berdych in the championship match, winning his second Wimbledon title.

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫

𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘯
1. (especially in former times) a brave or experienced soldier or fighter.

2. Rafael Nadal#Wimbledon | #CentreCourt100 pic.twitter.com/m6jL34xXQe
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 6, 2022

He might perhaps play in front of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, who took over as the All England Club's Royal Patron in 2016. As such, she is now scheduled to participate in this year's tournament's semifinals.

The Duchess enjoys playing tennis and watching it, and she frequently hangs out in the Royal Box at Centre Court. She and her husband Prince William attended the Championships for the first time, on Tuesday, to see Cameron Norrie revive British victory hopes.

At the conclusion of the week, Kate will likely hand out the winners' medals in her capacity as Royal Patron.