Rafael Nadal's 3 sporting passions besides tennis

Rafael Nadal is among the biggest names in the world of tennis. A member of the famous 'Big 3', the Spaniard has won 22 Grand Slams throughout his glittering career, which is the joint-most among male tennis players.

Although currently on the sidelines due to an injury suffered at the Australian Open, Nadal has been an unstoppable force on the tennis court for almost two decades.

However, away from the court, the Spaniard loves spending time playing other sports. And he plays them quite well too!

Here's a look at three other sports that Rafael Nadal is passionate about.

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#1 Football

Rafael Nadal loves playing football. In fact, as a child, he played football as much as he did tennis. Following his interest and expertise in the sport, he even considered taking up "The Beautiful Game" as a career.

The Spaniard has admitted his love for football on a number of occasions, once claiming that he did not play the sport only because of the high risk of getting injured.

"Well, I love football. But the problem is that it will be dangerous, for the injuries, no?” Nadal said.

Despite his busy schedule, the 22-time Grand Slam Champion is heavily involved in football. Nadal is a huge Real Madrid fan despite his uncle Miguel Angel Nadal playing for rivals Barcelona for eight years.

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#2 Golf

Rafael Nadal also loves to play golf and has often spoken about his admiration for the sport.

The King of Clay plays golf well enough to compete at a professional level, with a handicap of 0.3 to 1.5. He even competed at the 2022 Balearic Golf Championship, an amateur event, finishing in fifth place.

Nadal also enjoys the recreational nature of the sport and enjoys playing it during vacations with his family.

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#3 Cycling

It is well known that Rafael Nadal is big on fitness. He always ensures that he is in the best possible shape to weather the challenges thrown at him on the tennis court.

From lifting weights to cardio, the Spaniard loves working out. Another fitness activity that he loves doing is cycling. The King of Clay has been spotted on a bicycle in his hometown on various occasions

A couple of years ago, Mondraker, a company best known for manufacturing cycles, stated that Nadal would be using one of their models, the F-PODIUM DC RR.

The 22-time Grand Slam Champion has admitted that he loves cycling and that it plays a major role in his recovery from injury.