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via Reuters

via Reuters

After the completion of the Tokyo Olympics earlier this month, the 2020 Paralympic Games have begun. Over the last week, the Spanish Paralympics delegation has performed incredibly and the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Rafael Nadal, has been sending his congratulatory messages to his country’s athletes.

Nadal, who withdrew from the US Open and the rest of the 2021 season, has been watching the Paralympics and supporting the Spanish contingent, which has won 20 medals until now.

USA Today via Reuters

Rafael Nadal congratulates Spanish Paralympic winners

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Yesterday, the former World No.1 congratulated Paralympic medal winners through a series of Instagram stories. Nadal sent his best wishes to Spanish swimmer, Toni Ponce, who clinched his second medal, a silver, in the 100 meters breaststroke.

Nadal complimented Eva Moral, who won a bronze medal in the triathlon category for people in wheelchairs of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

In addition, Nadal lauded Sara Martinez for claiming the silver medal in long jump, congratulated Michelle Alonso for winning the gold in the SB14 100m Breaststroke, and hailed the duo of Gerard Descarrega, together with his guide Guillermo Rojo, for winning the gold medal in the men’s 400-meter – T11 final.

The tennis star sent his wishes to swimmers – Nuria Marques Soto for clinching a bronze medal in women’s S9 100m backstroke final and Teresa Perales, the silver medallist in the 50 meters back, class S5. Spain’s Paralympic swimming team has been tremendously successful, bringing a slew of medals for the country.

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For Nadal, there’s a long road ahead for recovery. Suffering from a lingering foot injury since his semi-final loss at the 2021 French Open, Nadal has played just two matches since then.

After skipping the Wimbledon Championships and Tokyo Olympics, Nadal competed at the Citi Open. However, the pain in his left foot persisted, eventually forcing him to withdraw from the rest of the season.

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Unable to play, Nadal has dropped to No.5 in the ATP rankings, a further drop is certain to happen in the coming months. For the fans, they’ll have to wait until next year to witness Nadal back in action.

Read More: Matteo Berrettini Picks Roger Federer Ahead of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic