Iga Swiatek posts her first-ever picture with idol Rafael Nadal, jokes about his impressive quad muscles

One of Rafael Nadal's biggest fans is none other than his fellow Italian Open and Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek. The Pole has been a fan of Nadal's since her childhood, and she often makes it a point to show her appreciation towards him.

Recently, Iga Swiatek posted a picture on Twitter where she can be seen standing next to Rafael Nadal while he is training his quadriceps in the gym. Swiatek claimed that she she took the photo just before her Rome final against Karolina Pliskova.

In her post Iga Swiatek also jokingly marveled at Rafael Nadal's quad muscles, before expressing her gratitude to the Spaniard for taking time out from his gym training session.

"This is me and Rafa just casually showing his quads...Just kidding. You're so kind @RafaelNadal, thank you for taking the time before the match," Swiatek wrote.

🤩This is me and Rafa just casually showing his quads...Just kidding. You're so kind @RafaelNadal, thank you for taking the time before the match. 🤩Oto ja, Rafa i jego udo...A poważnie, dziękuję życzliwość, klasę i czas poświęcony przed meczem na zrobienie sobie tego zdjęcia. pic.twitter.com/smqsDV0qQt

— Iga Świątek (@iga_swiatek) May 17, 2021

Interestingly, this is Iga Swiatek's first ever photograph with her idol Rafael Nadal - something she has been chasing for a good part of a year. The COVID-induced restrictions and quarantine procedures had made things tricky for the Pole, but she seemed visibly ecstatic after fulfilling her dream in Rome.

Iga Swiatek's picture with Rafael Nadal has taken Twitter by storm

Iga Swiatek with her 2021 Italian Open title

Iga Swiatek posted the picture with Rafael Nadal on Monday afternoon, and within a couple of hours it received thousands of positive responses from the fanbases of both players.

At the time of writing, the Pole's post has received 275 replies, 1,100 re-tweets and quote tweets, and a whopping 12,300 likes.

The official Twitter handles of prominent tennis accounts like WTA and Roland Garros have also shown their appreciation towards the picture. Swiatek's colleague Alize Cornet has also posted a reply, showing her love towards Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek's photo.

😍😍

— Alize Cornet (@alizecornet) May 17, 2021

That said, a good percentage of the admirers of the picture are seemingly in awe of Rafael Nadal's bulging quadriceps rather than the main feature of the picture - Swiatek and Nadal being captured together.

While the Spaniard's muscular physique is no secret, he is not as chiseled as he used to be in his younger days. But it seems that the 34-year-old leaves no stone unturned during training, and his hard work is visibly reflected in the shape and size of his quadriceps.