"I said thank you for what he has contributed to tennis...as if a little embarrassed, Rafael Nadal smiled & bent down" - Greek tennis coach

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 should visit the Naxos Tennis Club and he replied,'I wish...'," he added.

Rafael Nadal all smiles on board ATV during Greece vacation with family

The Spaniard enjoys Greek vacation with family

Rafael Nadal has been utilizing his time away from the tour by enjoying a relaxing Greek vacation with his wife Maria Francisca Perello and their son. The couple were spotted touring the streets of Greece with their hands intertwined.

After initially being spotted in Greece back in June, the 37-year-old has made his way through the islands of Corfu, Ithaca, Meganisi, and Folegandros, to name a few.

The Spaniard recently took to social media to share an image of himself, his wife, and their son, enjoying the stunning views of the Corinth Canal from a luxury yacht.

"Vacaciones....holidays," he captioned his Instagram post.

He also posted a picture of himself smiling cheerfully while riding an ATV.

"Holidays (II)," he wrote on Instagram.

In other news, Rafael Nadal's hotel chain, Zel, is reportedly expanding to Mexico in a couple of years' time. The Spaniard, who partnered with Melia Hotels International and launched his own chain of hotels in 2022, opened the first hotel under Zel in his hometown earlier this year.