"I thought that my admiration for Rafa could not go any further but I assure you that it has increased" - Jennifer Pareja on Rafael Nadal

Rafael Nadal recently met Jennifer Pareja at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Pareja, a water polo legend and current executive adviser to the presidency of the Higher Sports Council in Spain, later took to social media to express her admiration for the 22-time Grand Slam winner.

She was full of respect for her compatriot, especially his off-court persona that she thought went far beyond his achievements on-court. She was also grateful to have had time with him, whom she believes is "the best athlete in history."

"Rafa is not only what you see on the track, which is a lot☺️, what he transmits off it speaks even better about him. I thought that my admiration for Rafa could not go any further but I assure you that it has increased," Pareja captioned her post.

The water polo champion had been looking forward to her visit to the Rafa Nadal Academy. She praised the world-class facilities available and the values that she believes are driven by the 14-time Roland Garros champion himself.

"Since I entered @deportegob more than 4 years ago, I have been looking forward to this visit. What I have breathed🎾WORK and THE BEST FACILITIES to bring out and improve the potential of athletes🎾 VALUES, all those transmitted by @rafaelnadal, as an essential guide in everything they do.🎾 ACADEMIC TRAINING as a fundamental pillar." she posted

During the same visit, she also met Carlos Moya and confessed to being a "superfan" of his.

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Rafael Nadal returns to training, expected to compete at 2022 Paris Masters

Rafael Nadal pictured with the 2022 Australian Open trophy.

After taking a long break following his participation in the 2022 Laver Cup, Rafael Nadal has returned to training and is expected to be back on the court at the Paris Masters tournament.

The tournament could potentially end the Spaniard's calendar year on a high, as he could wrestle the World No. 1 from his compatriot Carlos Alcaraz. He is currently 930 points behind Alcaraz and a deep run at the Paris Masters or the ATP Finals could see him rise to the top of the world rankings. The Spanish veteran, interestingly, is yet to win either title in his career.

The Paris Masters will begin on September 29 and will see the likes of Casper Ruud, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Daniil Medvedev, among other players, competing for the Masters 1000 title.