VIDEO: Nadal and his wife make appearance at Mallorca Championships as Feliciano Lopez heads towards career concluding

Rafael Nadal and his wife made an appearance at the Mallorca Open to watch Feliciano Lopez's match.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion has been away from the tennis courts since suffering an injury at the 2023 Australian Open in January, where he was defeated by Mackenzie McDonald in the second round.

Although his return was expected during the clay court season, Nadal had to withdraw from scheduled tournaments week after week. After announcing that he would not participate in the French Open, he revealed that he will not return to the ATP tour this year and plans to retire at his favorite tournaments in 2024.

This week, it was surprising to see Nadal and his wife as spectators at the Mallorca Open, particularly during Feliciano Lopez's match against Max Purcell. The 41-year-old Spaniard, who is participating in what could be his final tournament, managed to secure a significant victory of 6-3, 7-5, advancing to the second round.

his fellow Spaniards Carlos Moya and Marc Lopez were also in attendance to watch the match. It seems that the presence of these Spanish tennis figures added to the excitement of the event for the spectators.

“It’s a really special win for me, probably one of the most special wins of my career so far, to be honest,” Lopez said after the match.

“This is over my expectations, to be winning a match at this stage of my career in Mallorca, this beautiful place, surrounded by the ones that I love, my friends,” headed.

“Most of them came for my hypothetical last match. Luckily, it wasn’t the last match of my life. I have another opportunity tomorrow, and this is very overwhelming, I have to say.”

Lopez will play his second-round match against Australian Jordan Thompson, aiming to secure another victory before his final retirement from the tennis courts. This match holds significance for Lopez as he looks to end his career on a positive note.