Spain’s tennis star Rafael Nadal’s 2007 French Open-winning racket was sold for more than 100 thousand dollars.
The 37-year-old is often regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of men’s singles tennis in the Open era, having won as many as 22 Grand Slam titles. Fourteen of those wins came while playing at the Roland Garros which is why Nadal is also known as the ‘King of Clay’.
Nadal’s racket which he used in the final of the French Open triumph in 2007 was sold for $118,000 on Monday in an auction. It is one of the most expensive rackets to be sold in an auction.
Nadal’s racket used in the 2022 Australian Open, which was sold for $139,700 remains the most expensive in the list. Billie Jean King’s racket known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ was sold for $125,000.
1068 - Upon his return from injury, Rafael Nadal is currently on 1,068 ATP match wins in his career. One victory will move him past Ivan Lendl for the outright fourth-most in the Open Era. Motivation. #BrisbaneTennis | @BrisbaneTennis @RafaelNadal @atptour
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In that contest, the former world number defeated his rival and Switzerland’s legendary tennis star Roger Federer with a score of 6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4.
Nadal, who has recently returned to the court after spending nearly one year on the sidelines, missed the first Grand Slam of the year — the Australian Open — after suffering a niggle during the Brisbane International.
