"What a sign of excellence, for legends only" - Tennis fans react to Venus Williams becoming latest top star to train at Rafael Nadal's academy

Venus Williams recently checked in at Rafael Nadal's academy in Mallorca, Spain, prompting tennis fans to react to her presence at the famed training center.

Williams' quest for a sixth Wimbledon title came to an early end as she lost to Elina Svitolina in the opening round of the grass-court Major. Since then, the veteran player has been relishing her time off the court but also practicing a fair bit.

The 43-year-old leapt at the opportunity to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy (RNA), in preparation for a wildcard entry at the 2023 Canadian Open.

Following her arrival in Mallorca, tennis fans took to Twitter to express their excitement. One fan talked about Williams playing tennis in front of Nadal's famous bull logo and stated that the image was meant "for legends only."

"So many famous professionals are flocking to practice at Rafa Nadal Academy—what a sign of excellence! And having a photo taken while hitting on that court with Rafa’s bull logo in the background is becoming one of the most iconic images in tennis. For legends only."

WTA wasn't far behind and their official handle mentioned that Venus Williams was at Nadal's academy in preparation for the hard-court season.

"Venus, hard court season. @Venuseswilliams gets a practice session in at the @rnadalacademy! Hi Harry."

One tennis fan hailed the 7-time Grand Slam champion and stated that the Mallorcan academy was lucky to have "Queen Venus" on their premises.

"Lucky you to have Queen Venus on site."

Here are some more reactions by tennis fans:

Venus Williams is not the first prominent player to train at the Spanish pro's academy recently. Tennis stars from across the globe, like Felix Auger-Aliassime, Emil Ruusuvuori, Bianca Andreescu, Andy Murray, and Casper Ruud are among the notable tennis stars to have trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Venus Williams: You can't do anything about the past, but you can shape the future

Venus Williams at Wimbledon 2023

In a recent interaction with her fans on social media, Venus Williams opened up about her experiences and answered all sorts of questions. One fan asked for Williams' guidance and inquired about the plan of action when they're having a bad match, to which she replied:

"Say next point. You don't have a time machine. You can't do anything about the past. But you can shape the future."

Later, the 5-time Wimbledon champion was asked by a fan whether she ever tried any trick shots in a match.

"I never learned any. I'm just a boring tennis professional. I hope you can live with it. I've come to learn too, lol," she replied.