Nadal and Ukrainian tennis player Leonid Stanislaskyi recently played a point at the 35-year-old Spanish legend’s Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain
Rafael Nadal shakes hands with 97-year-old Ukrainian tennis player Leonid Stanislavskyi. Instagram/rafanadalacademy
Often you come across people who teach you that it is never too late to follow your dreams. One such person is 97-year-old Ukrainian tennis player Leonid Stanislavskyi, who achieved his long-held dreaming of playing against Rafael Nadal.
Nadal and Stanislaskyi recently played a point at the 35-year-old Spanish legend’s Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain. The video of the moment has gone viral on social media, receiving lots of love and appreciation from Internet users.
Many people appreciated the former world number 1 player’s sweet gesture in obliging to play with his fan.
Others were in awe of Stanislavskyi, and his tennis skill, commenting that the 97-year-old was extraordinarily active for his age. Several people also took note of Nadal’s tennis skills and how he methodically set up his opponent to score a point against him. The Rafa Nadal Academy also released pictures of the 20-time Grand Slam Winner and Stanislavskyi posing together after the game.
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The 97-year-old holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest tennis player in the world. Stanislavskyi, who holds an International Tennis Federation license, has been competing in amateur tennis events for over 50 years. He is currently ranked 31st in the Singles 90+ category.
As for Nadal, this is not the first time the Spanish legend has been in the news for his thoughtful actions. Recently, the 35-year-old was given the title of the ‘adopted son’ by the city council of Sant Llorenc des Cardassar for his help to the town during the 2018 floods that devastated the region, according to ATP Tour.
The floods resulted in the death of 13 people and over 200 people being forced to flee the heavy rains. Nadal opened up room at his academy for the people and also helped volunteers in cleaning up the area after the floods. The tennis legend also contributed EUR1 million to help with the recovery of the town.