Rafael Nadal might be the “King of Clay” and one of the greatest tennis players of all time, but unfortunately, an aspect of his that gets just as much attention is the Spaniard’s receding hairline. Right from his entry into the pro tour in 2004, Nadal has had different hairstyles, but he had to yield to every gentleman’s nightmare – Male Pattern Baldness.

Early in his career, Nadal’s mane was one of the most-talked about aspect of the Spaniard’s personality alongside his top-spin induced forehand and the champion mindset. However, as years progressed, fans began seeing Rafa’s thinning hair line. Even though the Spaniard covered it up with his long hair, the baldness became obvious since 2013.

Rafael Nadal had his first hair transplant in Spain

News about his issues with his hair began circulating in 2016, three years after hard-core tennis fans figured out the same and even suggested few treatments for the Spaniard. At the players party in Melbourne ahead of the 2016 Australian Open, Nadal’s thin hair caught the attention of the press.

Soon, the 20-time Grand Slam champion underwent a hair transplant. It was Follicular Unit Extraction procedure and included a 4,500 graft hair transplant. While Nadal had thin hair post the procedure, the hair loss seemed to have reduced drastically, which meant that the transplant was a success.

As there was no significant loss of hair since the transplant, the reports slowly dried down until the 2022 Australian Open. After his second-round victory against Yannick Hanfmann, fans had requested Rafa to do something about his hair as the thin hair line was even more visible. 

Watch this story: Miss Rafa’s Long Hair: Tennis Fans Go Berserk Over Rafael Nadal’s Thinning Hair at Australian Open 2022

Nadal’s hair loss has become increasingly visible over the years

Maybe it was due to the fact that Nadal played a day match and it was irresistible for fans to point out. While the Spaniard never openly addressed the issue, several reports claim that he has Diffused Pattern Alopecia, a sub-type in Male Pattern Baldness. In typical male baldness, hair loss starts at the temples and goes back.

But Nadal’s pattern was different as it had even loss all across the top of his head and the 2016 transplant appeared to have saved him some hair. For a 20-time Grand Slam champion and one of the game’s greats, Rafael Nadal might not be entirely bothered about his receding hairline even though his die-hard fans seem to consider it extremely important.

Also read: ‘Rafa Needs to Do Something!’ – Tennis Fans Left Concerned After Seeing Rafael Nadal’s Receding Hairline at Australian Open 2022