Rafael Nadal becomes first-ever tennis player to have 17 million followers on Instagram

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has become the first-ever tennis player to have 17 million followers or more on Instagram. Nadal, who posts frequently on the social media app, now has 17,004,587 (and counting) followers.

The owner of a Nadal fan page shared the update on Monday, stating:

"Rafa has just hit the 17 million followers on Instagram," accompanied by a heart emoticon.

Rafael Nadal is popular on Twitter too, with his follower count above the 15 million mark. The 22-time Grand Slam winner has 15,838,845 (and counting) followers on Twitter.

---

Rafael Nadal gets off to an underwhelming start at ATP Finals

Rafael Nadal in action at the ATP Finals. (PC: Getty Images)

In what was a deviation from the usual script, Rafael Nadal lost his first match at the ATP Finals in Turin to Taylor Fritz. The Spaniard, who is the top seed at the event, lost 7-6(3), 6-1 in his first round-robin assignment.

Fritz, who has been giving Nadal headaches all year long, is now level with the former World No. 1 (2-2) in the head-to-head.

Fritz used the speed of the courts to his advantage, outwitting Nadal in both his service and return games. The 25-year-old American edged Nadal in both service points won (79 percent to 65) and return points won (35 percent to 21) to gain a 2-1 advantage against the Spaniard on hardcourts.

But while Nadal lost the match, there were moments to savor for his fans. Deep in the first set, Nadal and Fritz were involved in a long rally when a backhand from Fritz clipped the net and forced a charging Nadal to rush the net.

Nadal then made a forehand forward running pass to stay alive in the point, to which Fritz responded with a lob. The Spaniard then pulled out his famous overhead backhand reverse smash at the net, conjuring a very difficult winner.

This amazing piece of play by the Spaniard gave plenty of joy to his team as well as the fans seated in the stands.

Nadal will next go up against another young gun, in the form of Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime. The 22-year-old is on a roll, and he comes into the Finals after winning three titles over the last month.

Soon after Nadal's loss, social media was rife with speculation about his form, with some calling it the beginning of the end for the 36-year-old player. A few even suggested that the 22-time Grand Slam champion could follow the example of Roger Federer and call it a day.

However, given his proven ability to bounce back from his stumbles, many of his fans remain hopeful about his future too.

Nadal's wife Maria Francisca Perello and their one-month-old son Rafael Jr. were some of the special guests present in the stands. This is Rafael Jr.'s first trip with his parents.

Rafael Nadal will now need to win his next two matches for a chance to reach the semifinals of the 2022 Nitto ATP Finals. Nadal is eyeing his first trophy in his eleventh appearance at the season-ending championship.