Rafael Nadal's academy alumnus Abdullah Shelbayh shows up wearing Palestinian scarf at media event in Metz amid Gaza-Israel conflict

Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy's alumnus Abdullah Shelbayh recently made a public appearance wearing a traditional Palestinian scarf as the war between Gaza and Israel wages on.

Shelbayh hails from Jordan. He enrolled himself in Nadal's Mallorca academy at the age of 14 and continued to hone his skills for five years. He left the academy after graduating in the year 2021 and moved to the USA to continue his studies along with tennis at the University of Florida.

Shelbayh currently sits in 215th place on the ATP rankings. He recently participated in the Moselle Open, where he failed to make it past the pre-quarterfinals. Italy's Lorenzo Sonego defeated him in straight sets on Thursday, November 9 in Metz, France.

Notably, the 19-year-old entered the court prior to his match against Sonego wearing a Palestinian scarf, also known as Kufiya, in a show of solidarity with the lives lost in the Gaza-Israel war.

Hamas, an armed Palestinian group, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023. In retaliation, the Israeli authorities declared a full-fledged war against Hamas, which continues to take lives to date. As per reports, the death toll has crossed the 10,000 mark.

Shelbayh also attended a media event the day before his pre-quarterfinal clash wearing a Kufiya.

Earlier in October this year, Shelbayh clinched his maiden challenger trophy in Charleston. He defeated Oliver Crawford from the USA 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 in the summit clash.

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Rafael Nadal told me to surround myself with the right guys, reveals Abdullah Shelbayh

Abdullah Shelbayh Photo Shoot

In an interview earlier this year, Abdullah Shelbayh revealed that Rafael Nadal once advised him to keep his circle small and talk about his game to as few people as possible.

“He [Nadal] always gives me tips in terms of tennis. He also always makes sure that I don’t have too many people around me. [He tells me that] you have to have a few people that you trust so you don’t get too crazy in your head of who to listen to," Shelbayh said (via ATP tour).

Shelbayh further stated that Nadal reasoned that listening to several different individuals would leave him confused as to who he should listen to.

"If you have too many people around you, they give you different [advice] and you don’t know who to listen to. Surround yourself with the right guys, it doesn’t have to be many, but if you trust them, that’s perfect,” he added.