"Wishing Rafael Nadal a speedy recovery" - Ben Stiller sends his best wishes to Spaniard following Australian Open 2024 withdrawal

Actor and comedian Ben Stiller has sent his best wishes to Rafael Nadal after the latter announced that he would not participate in the upcoming Australian Open due to a micro tear on his muscle.

Nadal's resurgence in tennis was cut short by Jordan Thompson in the third round of the Brisbane International, which was the Spaniard's first tournament after nearly a year-long hiatus due to a hip injury. The former World No. 1 was seen struggling, though he finished the match, losing 7-5, 6-7(6), 3-6.

Seems like the rough patch will continue for the 37-year-old as he later found out about a micro tear on one of his muscles. Informing his fans on X (formerly Twitter), Nadal said that the latest injury was not in the same area as his previous one. However, he admitted that he cannot play five-set matches as of now, and hence will be flying back to Spain for treatment.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion continued in another tweet about the amount of hard work he had put in over the last 12 months.

He further expressed his disappointment at not being able to play in the Australian Open but at the same time, remained hopeful and positive for the future. The 14-time French Open champion signed off by thanking his fans for their support.

Rafael Nadal immediately started getting messages on social media from all around the world. Zoolander actor Ben Stiller, too, wished for a speedy recovery of the Spaniard.

"Wishing Rafa all the best and a good and speedy recovery," Stiller tweeted on X.

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When Rafael Nadal and Ben Stiller paired up to play doubles

Ben Stiller

Ben Stiller seems like a huge Rafael Nadal fan, as he has attended numerous of the tennis icon's matches. Not only this, the two have also played doubles together.

During an exhibition match between the Spaniard and Juan Martin del Potro in 2013, the former asked Stiller to join him as his doubles partner in the second set. After some hesitation, the Night at the Museum actor jumped on the court, to the delight of the spectators. Del Porto invited a little girl to be his partner and the kid managed to get the better of Stiller, which got a roar of applause from the crowd.

Stiller recounted his experience on The Tonight Show in 2022, saying:

"It's like a dream come true to be in Madison Square Garden and people start cheering. And, also, it's this nightmare that's happening simultaneously, because I realize I really don't play tennis."