During an appearance on the media circuit, Rafael Nadal recalled an unexpected text he received from Andy Murray. However, that was not a normal call between two of the arch on-court rivals, it was something else. What made it stand out wasn’t only that the two tennis stars had not been in touch for a while, but also the tone and moment of the message.
The Spaniard, who is a renowned Real Madrid supporter, remembered that Murray texted him the moment Arsenal beat the Spanish giants. Rafa said, “My good friend Andy. I wasn’t in touch with you for a while. The day that Arsenal beat Real Madrid. When the match just finished, after one second, he texted me a message telling me…”
He hesitated, smiled, and then replied, “No, I’m going to read it because… It’s very good. It’s very interesting.”
Nadal then pulled up his phone and read out the message from Murray, “Hi Rafa. Haven’t talked to you in ages. Just wanted to check that you were alright.” What at first seemed to be a warm, friendly greeting soon turned out to be a sneaky knock, topped up with a traditional British delicacy.
“It took me like 5 seconds to understand what I was reading. In the beginning, I was thinking, ok, he is such a nice guy. He’s asking how I’m doing, family. After 5 seconds, I said, ‘This always British sense of humor.“
The crowd erupted into laughter as Nadal finished reading the message. He then added cheekily: “By the way, I didn’t reply to him when PSG defeated Arsenal.”
Tennis Icons, Football Rivals
Though both Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray have exchanged intense battles on the court, it’s apparent that off-court, they share a warm relationship interspersed with mutual respect and the occasional football dig at each other. Well, in that case, it would be Murray only.
Nadal’s refusal to respond after PSG defeated Arsenal only heightens the humor, demonstrating that the friendly football jibe is a two-way affair.