‘Love Watching Rafa’: Andy Murray Picks Rafael Nadal as His Favorite Player

Even though the ATP tour has officially ended with the year-end championships in Turin, fans got to see top stars in action at the Davis Cup Finals. A few weeks later, another exhibition event has grabbed the attention of the tennis world as players like Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, and Denis Shapovalov are in action at the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi.

Thiem, who initially gave his name for the event, withdrew at the last moment as he was still not completely fit to compete. Two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray will be using the Mubadala exhibition event as a launch pad for his upcoming stint in Australia.

Andy Murray says Rafael Nadal as his ‘favorite’ during practice at Mubadala Championships

The Brit’s first match will be against Rafael Nadal, a rival he had faced 24 times in his career. Their last meeting came five years ago in the semi-finals at Mutua Madrid Open. Murray won that match in straight sets.

During his practice session ahead of their exhibition match, Murray was asked about his favorite tennis player on tour. The former world no.1 took the name of Nadal as the player he likes to watch.

“For me probably, to watch, I love watching Rafa. Over the years, I loved watching Nadal,” said Murray. 

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Nadal might use Mubadala as a testing pad for the upcoming Australian Open

Irrespective of the opponent, Murray always ensures that he puts his best foot forward and gives his best on a tennis court. Even this year, the Brit managed to shine in the second half of the season and gave the youngsters a run for their money.

Coming to Nadal, he will be testing his movement at the Mubadala Championships. After a third-round defeat to Lloyd Harris at the Citi Open, the Spaniard decided to sit out of the rest of the tour and underwent treatment for his foot injury.

Nadal earlier announced that he will make an appearance at the 2022 Australian Open and even signed up to play one of the warm-up events in Melbourne. The Spaniard might use this exhibition event at Abu Dhabi as a testing pad and make necessary improvements for the upcoming Australian tennis summer.

Also read: “Going To Be Super Difficult for Me”: Rafael Nadal’s Startling Confession Ahead of His Return